I Bet the Devil Was Handsome Too
by KenzieKaddl
Summary: Modern AU: Pandora- A malicious, deteriorating state where murder is more common than a smile. As CEO of leading corporation, Hyperion, Jack owns every single life within Pandora's borders including our protagonist Elizabeth; a floundering college girl who unintentionally ends up on Jack's bad side. Will she be able to survive the hell that is Handsome Jack? (Handsome Jack x OC)
1. Welcome to Sugar and Spice

"Welcome to Sugar and Spice where a smile is guaranteed. How can I make your day sweeter?" Elizabeth mumbled; her lips on autopilot as her eye lids drooped ever lower. The chipper words that waltzed out of her mouth clashed with the bags under her eyes. With what had to be the hundredth yawn that day, she could feel the effects of another long night of studying kicking her in the ass.

The customer slightly grinned at her and let out a small chuckle, "A smile guaranteed? How am I supposed to do that when you're not even smiling?" When the man was only met with a raise of an eyebrow and a long stare, he coughed uncomfortably into his hand and muttered, "Just a raisin bagel and a coffee, please." She gathered his order and as he left she said with a lazy wave, "Have a delicious day."

With no one else in sight, her head gave way to the tug of gravity and dropped down to her crossed arms on the cold counter. She knew Moxxi would tear her up for sleeping on the job, but what Mox didn't know wouldn't hurt her. Besides, the only people who needed donuts at one in the friggin' morning were drunks, stoners, those poor bastards pulling all nighters, and kids with no self control. None of which she had to be presentable for.

Her face peeked out from above her arms; eyes fluttering open. They started bugging out as soon as she caught sight of the bright pink and magenta walls of the tiny shop; the ceiling lined with white trim resembling icing on a cake. She blinked a few times, trying to rid herself of the eye-floaties blurring her vision. To top off her headache, the agitating tune of "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch" was bouncing happily around the empty room.

With each infuriating tick of the clock, her eyes grew heavier and her head followed suit, bobbing up and down as if someone had attached a string to her ponytail and was pulling on it like a hungry fish. Her gaping mouth didn't help the resemblance at all.

As she continued to struggle to keep her head from bashing the counter, she took the time to mentally kick herself for taking those extra credits at the beginning of the semester. Psychology definitely demanded satisfaction. She couldn't even sleep anymore without Ivan Pavlov haunting her nightmares. Eh, more like "psychoanalyze". A chuckle escaped her throat as she pathetically laughed at her own joke.

But she only had one more year to ride out. One more year and she was done with the late nights and the pots upon pots of coffee. She was going broke with all the java she bought.

Not to mention her social life was practically non-existent. It seemed like most of the time she lived to work rather than worked to live. Her friends had all but given up on getting her out of the workplace and she couldn't help but feel a tang of self-pity whenever she saw pictures of them at parties on her Echopic.

She quickly got over it each time, but lately it seemed harder to do what with each smiling selfie they sent her or each keg stand pic she received. She didn't even like alcohol, but she longed to be creating memories with them; hazy, nausea-inducing memories. College was supposed to be fun. Why wasn't she having fun?

Oh, right. She knew why. Failing her effing Statistics class had set her back at least half of a semester. Not to mention the year she took off to figure out what the actual hell she wanted to do with her life. And here she was a year later, still confused and broke as hell.

When she came back that following semester, she ultimately figured Psychology was a safe enough major. The money was ideal and it had a steady enough supply of jobs she could fill straight out of college, but she couldn't help but feel hollow. It was too normal. She was sick to death of feeling like another face in the crowd. She hated feeling like a statistic cause like yo screw Statistics.

She couldn't help but cringe when she thought of the inevitability of getting married to a boring man, buying a boring house in the suburbs, having boring children, and dying a boring death. Many sought that dream but it just wasn't in her repertoire. Whenever she attempted to explain these feelings to her parents, they only laughed and called her a hippy. Their suspicions were confirmed when she told them she joined the Feminism Activism Club at school.

She had to disagree. She wasn't a hippy. She was an idealist; an idealist with a dream. The only problem: she didn't know what that dream was.

But now that her parents were no longer behind her money wise, she thought it best to just stick to the road more traveled. So, like it or not, she had to buckle down and put in the extra time to get herself back on track. And that meant spending every waking moment at the Sugar and Spice or locked away in her room studying.

Adult life she had learned was just plain hard. Why couldn't her life be like one of those feel-good movies where the rich guys falls madly in love with her just because she treated him a normal human being or where her long lost grandmother turns up to tell her she's royalty? The thought of being a kid again sounded appealing too. The least she wanted was for someone to make her some Spaghettios.

Though, she had to admit her job was not rocket science. She found it hard to complain given it was pretty damn easy and paid well too. Plus, Moxxi was super sweet, albeit a little crazy. She was helpful, at least when she was around which was hardly ever. She spent most of her time at her pride and joy, Moxxi's Red Light and usually left the girl to her own devices. That meant either waking her up at the ass crack of dawn or sending her home in the pitch black. Nobody wanted donuts during the day; that would be absurd.

Not to mention they were in the heart of Pandora where all the psychos lived. Not sure what Mox was thinking when she bought the cruddy place. Elpis was so much nicer; the people were so much less murdery.

Not a day passed by without the report of another killing in Pandora flooding the news; be it a shooting or downright cannibalism. It scared the living shit out of her, so she tended to stay as far away from those points of interest as possible. She didn't want to end up on the news as another statistic. She groaned when she remembered Statistics again; what a stupid effing class.

Just as she felt the thrum of The Supremes lull her to sleep, the ring of the door's welcome bell snapped her eyes open and she was brought her back to the counter of the shop. For the shortest of seconds she was annoyed until she caught sight of the figure coming in from the dark. She blushed.

A tall man strode in; a hand running through his dark hair fixing it from the night air and the other adjusting his coat. For a brief moment she was solely transfixed on his hands. They were big, but slender and his fingers were long; they looked powerful. Her eyes then traveled up to the rest of him. He wore a dark grey suit jacket with a yellow undershirt that matched the yellow handkerchief in his suit's pocket. His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows revealing strong arms; a secret weakness of hers, but by the staring anyone could tell it was no secret. His jaw line was strong and his chin held a neatly groomed soul patch. She wasn't usually a fan, but on him it just worked. He was lean but well built, tall but not lanky and he was all around…handsome.

His suave demeanor was a stark difference than that of the cheery donut shop which she graciously welcomed. His brow was firm above alert eyes as they scanned the room idly, taking in the décor with what looked to be a grimace. The grimace disappeared once their eyes locked. She noted the sly smirk that grew across his features when he noticed her gawking from behind the counter. He looked at her coyly before walking over; his stride giving him an air of confidence that made her attention perk.

As he drew closer, she estimated he was probably in his late thirties to early forties given the fine streak of gray within his locks. It looked like a waterfall between two black mountains. He approached and she drank in his height. She was by no means short and was usually taller than most of the men she knew, but compared to him she barely reached the midpoint of his long nose.

As he leaned over the counter, one arm propping him up by his elbow and the other planted firmly on his hip, his cologne overtook her senses. It was intoxicating. The scent of rum and cedar flooded her nostrils and a slight hint of something sweet. Vanilla?

When she recollected herself, she managed to look him in the eyes but instantly marveled at his heterochromia; one blue, one green. By God her knees were weak.

Although, one peculiarity that managed to catch her eye now that he was close enough to see, let alone touch, was the striking difference between the olive tone of his neck and arms and the cream color of his face. The slight scarring gave her the presumption it was surgical, but she was not one to judge. His lips drew her away from the oddity and pulled her back into his strapping good looks once again.

"Welcome to Sugar and Spice where a smile is guaranteed. How can I make your day sweeter?" She asked, her voice cracking. He gave an amused grin and furrowed his brow. "Oh, I know just how you can make me smile-" He paused, glancing down at her nametag; his eyes almost lingering, "Elizabeth." Well shit. His voice was candy too. Although, despite the increasing heat in her cheeks, the line did put her off a little.

"I'm sorry, what-" She started, but was cut off with a finger to the lips. "No words, alright pumpkin? You look great, so I don't really want to hear how dumb you sound. Just wanna know if your boss is in." It took her a moment to fully grasp what had just happened.

Oh, hell no, She thought; the finger at her lips making her blood simmer. A moment ago she believed she would have collapsed from the touch of his hands, but now all she felt was annoyed. She glared at him for a few moments trying to wrap her brain around him; his finger still shushing her. The silence was thick.

The smirk disappeared from his face and impatience took its place, "Hello, I asked you a question. Your boss. Is she in?" The Professor of her Women and Gender Studies class suddenly appeared within her brain. He looked pissed too; his shaded glasses thinly veiling immense anger and his unreal muscles almost popping out of his shirt as they so often did when he got into a heated discussion. She heard him scream in her head, "There's nothing more badass than treating a woman with respect!"

The blush from her cheeks fell away as she immediately pegged this guy for the cocky asshole he was. She knew guys like this too well. She wasn't willing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her fawn over him no matter how hot he was.

The silence was obviously infuriating him. She could see his anger growing by the minute like a tea kettle ready to scream. His finger finally left her lips and he rubbed his temples in frustration. A growl shook his Adam's apple; a primal noise that made Elizabeth shudder, but it failed in breaking down her walls. She fueled the fire by putting away some stock behind the counter completely ignoring the red growing within his pupils.

Sure it was immature, but she had to admit she enjoyed seeing his façade crumble. The lack of sleep made her more daring and for the lack of a better word, mean, but she knew she'd regret it in the morning. For now she could have her fun. "No comprendo? Your boss. Got jugs out to here, can't miss 'em," He said groping the air around his chest, "Are you an idiot or just another dumb blonde, cupcake?" He snapped his fingers in her face making her glare deepen. She pursed her lips and turned her head to the side looking bored.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" He slammed his immense hand on the counter top making her jump; a few items falling off the side from the impact. She took a half step back, alarmed. Her eyes grew wide as she realized he had successfully crushed the cold front she was trying to keep up. The smirk returned to his face, but she would be damned if she didn't get one last dig in. With a spurt of audacity she remarked with a sneer, "You told me 'no words'."

At first he was pissed. Then the side of his lip curled deep into his cheek. Suddenly, he threw his head back to release a full belly laugh into the open room which managed to drown out the ending of "Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch". The man's laugh was similar to that of a hyena's; feigning amusement but ready to kill. Was this guy from Pandora? He seemed crazy enough. If he was then that meant he had the lethality to back up the insanity.

As he finished he looked back down at her with a grin; his smile, or rather his baring teeth sent a chill up her back. His canines were almost animalistic as he loomed over her. That's the moment Elizabeth knew she was going to die. He was going to chop her up and throw her into Crater Lake and she would have nothing to leave behind but a goldfish and a shit ton of student loans. She would be another murder people would be angry at for about a week before continuing on with their lives as if nothing ever happened. Another statistic.

He leaned in so she could smell that enticing cologne again. It messed with her brain something fierce. He spoke quietly. It terrified her that he almost sounded sweet. She would rather have a growl or a shout. At least something she'd be able to read.

With a finger he jabbed at Elizabeth's nametag slightly then ran a thumb over the pink "S&S" embroidered on her work shirt. "I don't think you understand who I am, sweetheart, so I'll let you off this one time. Next time I know I won't be so nice. Now Moxxi. Where. Is. She?" He emphasized. The words slid through his white teeth and his fraternal eyes glowered up at her from beneath his sharp, dark eyebrows, freezing her from the inside out.

"She's not here. She's at her bar, Moxxi's Red Light," She squeaked, "I can get you the number." Elizabeth wanted nothing more than for this interaction to be over. She mentally calculated how long it would take for her to reach the phone to call the police if this guy tried anything. She determined that she would most definitely be able to call them, but she would most definitely be dead by the time they showed up. She then made note of the pepper spray at the bottom of the counter. Her fingers itched.

He threw his hands up in rage and spun on his heel. "I don't need the shitty number, I own that goddamn bar! I own this whole city!" His tone was utterly offended. He took long strides towards the door, but before exiting he turned and cocked his head mockingly, looking back at her with a pout, "In fact, I own you, kiddo." Her shoulders tensed from the look in his eye.

"This crap hole is mine too which means you work for me. Isn't that peachy?" He teased; his nose and eyes scrunching to make room for his sneer. He had taken the upper hand yet again. "Maybe next time you'll be more hospitable when serving your boss. So, it'd be wise to not forget my name; Handsome goddamn Jack, baby!"

With a flip of the middle finger, he slammed the door shut and the bell attached to it came crashing to the ground producing a metallic shriek that reverberated through Elizabeth's ears. He started walking away then stopped when he noticed an open window. She could do nothing but watch him as he put his mouth to the screen of the window and say, "I'm going to make your life hell, cupcake." She felt his words kick start one final stroke of nerve in her stomach (or maybe it was stupidity). She raised her hand to wave each individual finger at him and called out, "Have a delicious day!"

She could practically feel the daggers from his glare slice into her and she knew she was pushing her luck, but she had already dug herself this far. Why not deeper? She thought, My family won't have to pay for someone to dig my grave. Besides, the night had that kind of effect on her, or maybe it was just assholes who didn't know respect if it slugged them right in their handsome faces.

He gave her one last chilling smirk and finally her boss, Handsome goddamn Jack, slinked off into the night. The sudden quiet left her feeling she had massively effed up. At least she wouldn't be having nightmares about Pavlov anymore.

Thank you guys so much for reading! Hope you enjoyed and if you did your feedback is always appreciated!

*I took some liberties with the timeline so it won't follow the games completely but it will all work out in the end!


	2. Coffee and a Call

"You spoke to Handsome Jack like that? _The_ Handsome Jack?!" Jess shrilled over the phone. The girl's sudden outburst almost made Elizabeth drop the device from its resting place between her cheek and shoulder; her hands busy with homework. The brightness of the computer screen illuminated her face and paper as she worked tirelessly on a Mind and Behavior worksheet. Her thumping heart betrayed her languid disposition. She couldn't quite forget last night as much as she wanted to.

"I didn't know it was him, Jess," Elizabeth mumbled. She heard an exasperated groan resound over the line, "How could you not?" Elizabeth hated to admit it, but she was right. How could she not recognize the man she had been taught since grade school was the "savior" of Pandora; the same man who the children of Pandora pledged their allegiance to every single day of their lives?

Since middle school, everything had shifted for the worse. She was only thirteen at the time but she could remember the exact moment Handsome Jack came into power. She could distinctly recall how her parents were consumed with worry when they discovered their boss, the former CEO of Hyperion, had vanished and the position was immediately filled by this nameless man; this _Handsome Jack_.

Her parents would often wonder about the sudden, not to mention mysterious disappearance but after a while and after a few dropped investigations, they grew to learn that it was best not to ponder such things out loud.

Elizabeth was only twelve at the time but even then she knew something was seriously awry when the man's face suddenly started appearing everywhere she looked; at school, on buildings, on television. His constant stare would have made her uneasy were it not for his overwhelming charisma. He had a funny way of attracting people and managed to charm the citizens of Pandora right out of their socks including her parents.

That admiration soon turned to confusion and terror when Jack declared his rule over the state; an authority that was practically handed to him. No one quite understood how he had obtained such a high power, but they were a fool to question it. Nothing Jack did was ethical. They would just leave it at that.

Things were never quite the same for the people of Pandora after that. Hell was a loose term to describe day to day life.

Jack was more of a dictator than anything he claimed to be and he had the backing of many wealthy companies and families to assure he stayed in that position. It was well-known he had the perpetual support of one of the most powerful families in the country, the Hammerlocks, and their constant patronage was anything but frugal. Their aristocratic lifestyle was infamous, so it was no surprise the two fascist parties clicked almost immediately.

Elizabeth could feel her skin crawl as she pictured that stupid face popping up on her television set to preach once again about the change he was willing to bring to the "rat hole" known as Pandora. The only problem: the only change people saw was the increase of slums and the decrease of jobs.

She knew she should count herself lucky, though. Her parents, loyal employees to Hyperion, were secure in their job status. Being miners they were not rich by any means, but they were well enough off as far as being able to survive. Still, was surviving really the same as living?

"You seriously didn't know?"

"Oh, totally. That's why I made a total ass of myself in front of the most powerful man in Pandora. Real good thinking on my part I'd say," Elizabeth quipped as she brought her mouth down into an upside down U shape and nodded like an idiot, "Of course not! He just waltzed in like he owned the place and started getting weird, so I accidentally decided to be an asshole. It was a spur of the moment thing!" Elizabeth whined recounting the terror that was fresh in her mind.

"He _does_ own the place Lizzy! Moxxi may run it but she works for him all the same," Jess said, "And how the hell do you _accidentally_ decide to be an asshole? You're lucky he didn't off you right there!"

That made Elizabeth pause. She put her pencil down trying to think rationally.

"Jack's just a guy with a lot of power. He's not a murderer, Jess," She said, trying to convince not only her friend but herself as well.

"I'm not so sure," Jess said, her voice growing smaller over the line. Elizabeth wondered if there was a bad connection, but she soon realized it was fear weighing down her friend's voice.

"He's a shady guy, Liz. He's been in so many scandals and has walked clean from every single one. If he murdered you, he would have enough power to get out scot-free." It felt as if a large apple had lodged itself in Elizabeth's throat. She tried to dislodge it but it refused to budge.

"I heard he throws people in front of trains or ties bricks to their feet and drowns them in the lake. Or-" Jess rambled over the line becoming more and more frenzied. Elizabeth could feel her heart's pace quicken with Jess' growing hysteria.

"I don't really want to have this conversation before I have to go to bed, please," Elizabeth tried to laugh but it came out choked. The line was silent for a long while as the two girls tried to think of something to comfort one another.

"He was hot though, right?" Jess finally asked. Elizabeth sighed and nodded to no one in particular, "Very."

They talked for a few more hours avoiding the topic at hand and instead elected to talk about the cute mechanic girl, Janey, Jess had a crush. One who just so happened to be involved with the coach of the rugby team; a stoic, powerhouse of a woman who Jess said could knock her flat on her ass if she so much as looked at Janey. "Lucky girl," Jess commented.

After awhile they both bid each other goodnight. "I'll see you tomorrow, chickadee. You still on for coffee in the morn'?" "You know it. I'll pick you up around nine if you want," She offered. As much as Elizabeth wanted to sleep in on her day off, she craved human interaction that didn't set her on edge much more. "Sounds good; see you then!" And with a click she was gone and Elizabeth was left alone with only her thoughts and her homework.

She began to itch at her head through her sandy blonde hair to try and scratch out the image of Handsome Jack's smug mug from her brain. Jess didn't have to remind Elizabeth that Jack was a guy that shouldn't be messed with. She had heard countless stories from whispers exchanged in class to slurred chit chat held at Moxxi's bar and everywhere in between. Some were full on horror stories that kept Elizabeth checking the locks on her windows at night.

One time when she was working the morning shift at Sugar and Spice, she had overheard the radio report the death of a man who had literally had his throat ripped out right outside of city of Lynchwood. When she returned home to research it more thoroughly she found that, coincidentally enough, all evidence pointed to Jack. Still, he walked away unscathed from the charges.

And the one thought that continued to nag at the back of her head like a fly that was just out reach of swatting was that no matter where she went or where she hid, he would find her if he truly wanted to.

As CEO of Hyperion, one of the leading corporations in the whole country, Jack held all of Pandora within the palm of his hand and that included Pandora's vast resources. Pandora was definitely shitty but ever since Eridium had been discovered in the area, things had been slightly less shitty.

Too bad Jack was sucking every bit of it dry like the leach he was. He was reaping all the benefits of the invaluable ore for himself and not saving a penny of it for the people he ruled over. Jack claimed he wanted what was best for _his_ people but how could he when _his_ people were dying in the street; most by his hand?

And the way he spoke made it seem Pandora was hardly enough to quench his thirst. He wanted absolute control; that much was certain, and at this rate he would get it. He already had his claws rooted deep into Elpis and it wouldn't be long before he took it for his own. Next would be Promethea, Artemis, and she hated to admit it but the whole country was not out of question.

It was no secret everyone was terrified of the powerful man. He was like some sort of God. It was as if he had a stigma attached to his name. The mere mention of the name "Handsome Jack" had some of the biggest politicians cowering. It sure had that effect on her.

What did Elpis even look like anymore? Elizabeth could only slightly recall their yearly family vacations to Concordia but that had been at least a decade ago. Ever since Jack had the borders of Pandora loaded to the nines with guards and checkpoints, barely anyone left. Only the highly wealthy ever got to see the outside world anymore. Oh, how she loved Elpis. Hardly any death, zero to no murders. It was great.

Although, the crazies of Pandora were one thing; Jack was another. To think, millions of lives were being held captive in the hands of a single psychopath and she could feel hers wriggling right under his thumb. She had to face that she had been caught within the spider's web and all because she had decided to be a dick to the biggest dick in the land. She had been out dicked.

There had been some talk of rebels gathering an army in the city of Sanctuary, but she waved it off. They were probably just a bunch of vigilantes who were in way over their heads. Still, she couldn't help but admire their cause.

Once she was done with homework, she fed Horatio who swam around contently in his bowl and plopped down into the welcoming mattress which seemed to fit to her form perfectly. She snuggled deeper underneath the cool sheets as the anxiety of the day faded some. She let out a dramatic sigh, a groan and then a moan (in that order) and tried to telepathically thank her former roommate for transferring to Fyrestone University. She loved staying up late with no one around to bother her.

The dorms were fine for her freshman and sophomore year, but now that she was embracing seniority, she was ready for a change. If it weren't for the cost, she would pay for her own place in a heartbeat, but since she was flat broke and her parents were not coughing up any cash, the dorms would do. And dorm life undoubtedly sucked, but being alone and being able to do whatever hell she wanted had its perks.

Jess always reminded her she could have guys over whenever she wanted or that she could throw parties on the weekends, but all Elizabeth really wanted to do was eat ice cream in her underwear and watch Echoflix.

Her head met with the softness of the lavender colored pillow as she flicked her bedside lamp off. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she looked outside to the stars. Before sleep could set in, she caught herself thinking about _him_ again and she scolded herself. Handsome Jack. What a narcissist.

 **9:16 a.m.**

Elizabeth's eyes peeled open as she was met with the blaring of "Flawless", Jess' ringtone. She slapped her hand down on her phone and brought it up to her ear to mumble a, "Hello?" "I'm guessing you overslept?" It took a while for her process. She squinted from the glare that shone in her eyes through the translucent curtains. "…Oh, shit! I'm so sorry. I'll be there in ten!"

 **9:26 a.m.**

The sky was drearily overcast that morning, refusing to let the sun shine. Cold air whipped through Jess' short black hair, freezing her skull. Her feet padded the pavement in rhythm as she attempted to accumulate heat in her numb toes. Her dark, slender fingers trembled in time with her chattering teeth. She was on the corner of the street when she saw the little, blue 2003 Honda Civic trudge up the road pathetically. She smiled when she caught sight of the driver who looked close to death. She saw the window roll down and the blonde driver leaned across the passenger's seat to wink at her. "Hey, babe, you come here often?" She said; her hair clearly untouched from the night before. "Business or pleasure?" Jess laughed and hopped in.

"I'm so sorry I overslept," Elizabeth pinched the bridge of her nose, "I just stayed up way too late." The heat warmed Jess up from the inside out and instantly put her in a good mood. "It's cool. I should have known to tell you to pick me up at eight, cause _then_ you would have been ready on time," She stuck a tongue out teasingly and looked into the passenger mirror to fix the headband in her hair. That's the one thing Elizabeth always appreciated about Jess. No matter how many times she screwed up, Jess retained the ability to forgive and forget. It was pretty admirable.

They arrived at The Clap Trap and as soon as they stepped in the doorway they were welcomed by warmth and the smell of freshly pressed coffee; the chilly air melting off them instantly. They shed their layers and took a seat on the worn arm chairs by the electric fire place. A electric blonde waiter came buzzing over to them with a smile planted firmly on his face and fervor in his step. "Welcome back to The Clap Trap, ladies! The usual?" He asked. His baby blues seemed to be busting with excitement.

"Yeah, thanks, Clap," Elizabeth nodded to the waiter who she recognized from her Water Aerobics class, but for the life of her, could never remember the name of. She usually just defaulted to the nickname she bestowed upon him when they first met. Unbeknownst to her, he appreciated it immensely. He might have been annoying but he was nice enough, _and_ he made some damn good coffee.

When they were alone, Jess looked up at Elizabeth with a timid smile. "You get a call from Moxxi yet about the…you know?" She asked, tentatively side-stepping over the sensitive subject, but still longing to know if her friend was truly safe.

Elizabeth sighed and took a long look at the paintings decorating the brick walls; most of them created and donated by local students. She had always thought about donating one of her pieces, but she doubted she was good enough. It would probably just be thrown in the back with all the other failed works. Or maybe she was too critical of herself.

She also noticed the cracks in the wall the portraits were attempting to conceal. Cracks defined no doubt by years of decay and lack of money inflow; both an obvious catalyst to the gloomy deterioration. It seemed to her everyone was in the same boat. They were all sitting on a gold mine yet the money was nowhere to be found.

Her gaze traveled around the room looking for anything else worthy of note and hoping to avoid the question entirely but before she could lose herself in thought, Jess snapped her back.

"Liz, stay with me," Jess said, "Don't ignore the question, please. I'm worried about you." Elizabeth could hear the chatter of the other patrons and suddenly became self-conscious. She really didn't want to speak too loudly if they were going to be talking about _him._ If he really did have as many connections as people believed then there would no doubt be some nearby. She looked up at her friend who looked back expectantly. "I haven't-" Elizabeth started.

"Here are your drinks!" Clap announced making both girls jump in unison. They simultaneously shot him a glare, but he continued to smile. "Ignore the puffing burn marks on my arms. I spilled both of your drinks all over myself the first time around, so I am in tremendous pain! Enjoy your drinks!" He said and bounced away. The girls gave each other the side eye and Jess muttered a brief thanks while Elizabeth tried to stifle a laugh. They then took a drink and entered a new layer of heaven.

"Okay, so…?" Jess said giving a wave of her hand for Elizabeth to continue. Elizabeth sucked in air and looked to the side; her shoulders hunched.

"No, I haven't gotten a call. I'm not even sure Moxxi knows what happened," She said, squeezing tighter on her Chai Latte.

"Then you have to tell her. If anybody can do something about this, it's Moxxi," Jess said and Elizabeth put a finger to her lips for her to quiet down. The last thing she wanted was for them to be noticed. They were quiet for a few moments.

"Maybe he forgot about it. It was probably just another normal Friday night for him. You know, threatening a college kid; same old, same old. He probably doesn't even remember what you look like," Jess offered and added, "I mean you _are_ just another plain white girl." Her amused expression was met with a hard stare from Elizabeth.

"He told me he was going to make my life hell, Jess," Elizabeth said, "And I think he's winning."

Suddenly, "She's a Lady" blared out of Elizabeth's phone startling the two girls. Jess roared with anger making the other patrons turn, "If this keeps happening I am going to have a heart attack at twenty-three!" Elizabeth looked down to her phone cautiously, knowing too well whose ringtone it was.

Moxxi lit up the phone screen; her tightly curled hair outlining her beautiful, heart-shaped face clad heavily with makeup as per usual. Elizabeth hardly ever saw the woman without her makeup or her work outfit on since she insisted it was "bad for business", but the girl secretly enjoyed when the woman let her guard down around her. It made her feel like a confidante of sorts. Plus, she thought her southern accent was cute.

"It's Moxxi," She gulped. Jess took a light sip of her caramel macchiato and set it down gently as if the slightest movement would overload her friend.

"She's probably just telling you to not come in to work tomorrow because you're just…" Jess struggled to find the right words then pumped her arm with weak enthusiasm, "such a damn good worker."

With a swipe of her finger, Elizabeth reluctantly answered the phone, "Hey, Mox. What's up?" She could feel herself shaking; her seat squeaking in response. The shaking lessened once Elizabeth felt a warm hand land on her and found Jess rubbing her arm.

"Hey, sugar. Just calling to check up on things. Haven't heard from you in a while," Moxxi's naturally cool tone was unusually on edge; an edge that Elizabeth couldn't place. Was it anger, maybe fear?

"I'm good," Elizabeth said softly, unsure how to continue. She absolutely hated not knowing what to say. Jess quietly inched herself closer to the phone to eavesdrop; her ear suctioning on to the cover.

The line was quiet for a second before Elizabeth started again, "Listen, I have to tell you something about the other night. There-" She was cut off with an abrupt hush.

"Shush, sugar. Let's save this discussion for when we're in person, alright? Meet me at the bar and we'll talk this out. You're not in trouble, darling. We just need to make a few...arrangements if that's alright with you."

"Of course, no problem," Elizabeth laughed nervously. _Huge problem._ As she internally screamed; all the sirens in her head blaring at a deafening roar, Jess was simultaneously freaking out by her side. "I'll stop by around seven?" Elizabeth asked.

"Sounds perfect; see you then," Moxxi affirmed briskly; the nonchalant velvet of her voice falling momentarily. They said their goodbyes and hung up.

Jess and Elizabeth sat in silence for a beat, until Jess put a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and both of their brown eyes met, "You're boned."

 **Moxxi's Red Light, 6:57 p.m.**

It took around ten minutes for Elizabeth to find a parking spot in the over-crowded lot. The doors were overflowing with people trying to get into Moxxi's Red Light and the crowd didn't look pleasant. It certainly wasn't the type you'd see walk into church worship on a Sunday morning.

She took a moment to scold herself for her brash judgement. They were probably all wonderful people with wonderful backstories and they all scared the crap out of her.

It didn't help that her vision was slightly blurry from the two shots Jess insisted she take before leaving for the bar; graciously donated by the way straight from Jess' personal stash. She wasn't a fan of drinking and driving, but dying in a car crash was the least of her worries.

Elizabeth tapped the phone in her pocket nervously remembering that Jess had told her to not to hesitate to call if things started looking shady. She stuffed her hands deep within her pea-colored fall jacket and kicked a few stray pieces of gravel into the street. Despite the cool and calm pulse of the night air, Elizabeth felt a bead of sweat drip down her spine. With a deep gulp of breath, she dove into the crowd and pushed her way through the booze and body odor.

The strobing red and purple lights blinded her momentarily as she wrestled through to the heart of the bar; the chilly nip of the fall wind replaced with the thick suspension of grinding bodies. Elizabeth's step quickened as she felt a pelvis catch her in the hip. Her hands and eyes automatically flew above her waist; unwilling to see or touch anything she might regret. When she was directed to the back room by one of the bartenders, she suddenly felt a pit grow inside her stomach.

Her footsteps were lead as she trudged towards Moxxi's office and gripped the doorknob for support, wobbling some. She mentally cursed herself for being such a light weight.

The pounding of the bass thumped her heart out of her chest and clouded her already muddied thoughts. She felt like she was going to be sick. With a push, she lightly pressed the door open.

"Moxxi, you in here?" Elizabeth peeked in and saw the chair to Moxxi's desk swivel around to face the opposite wall. That hurt a bit. Was Moxxi really that pissed? The way the woman usually talked about the "Handsome Jackass" made the girl think she would have been given a raise on the spot. What was going on?

Elizabeth shut the door, cutting the boom of the music off as a way to readjust herself.

She then mustered up the courage to continue, "I wanted to talk to you about the other night. I'm sure you've already heard and I'm so sorry. It was a huge mistake. That guy- that Handsome Jack threw me for a loop. I had no idea it was him and I was really disrespectful and I just don't know what to do, Mox. I really need your help."

The chair creaked almost tauntingly but it never gave her the satisfaction of turning around. The maddening silence made her desperation rise. She took a few steps forward, furthering herself into the room; the smell of citrus and cranberries making her nose tingle. The decorative hanging lights attached to the ceiling and walls produced a soft glow that matched the fruity scent. The black spinning chair slowly rocked back and forth patiently, seeming to coax her on.

"Moxxi, please, he's going to kill me!" She pleaded but was only met with silence. After all they had been through, this was how she was going to treat her? The remaining alcohol left in her system heightened her emotions. Anger flooded her senses and she began to see red. Elizabeth clenched her fists as she took a few more sharp steps forward and yelled, "Answer me!"

The last step was all it took. Now that she was close enough to the desk, the soft scent of fruit was overthrown and suddenly replaced by something that gave her pause. The smell was infamous. It made her head spin as it wrapped itself around her entire being. She tried to place the richness of the smell, but her thoughts were jumbled from the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

All she could seem to remember was how intoxicating that smell was; that smell of rum, cedar and…vanilla. Her hand flew to her mouth in realization as she let out a muffled, "Shit."

There was a playful tut-tut from behind the leather swivel-chair, "Language."

Much to her horror, she knew that voice; it was the same voice that had plagued her thoughts for the past few days.

"Still no manners I see. And who do you think I am; some kind of a psycho who eats babies? Good Christ!" He laughed; she could see his hands emoting enthusiastically at his sides. "But you are right about one thing, baby." The chair spun around and she was met face to face with the nightmare himself.

Jack grinned up at her, his eyebrows knitting themselves tight over his heterochromia.

"You made a huge mistake."


	3. An Offer You Can't Refuse

"Ha! Holy crap, you should see your face right now! I spin around and deliver that sick ass line, and you're all "Oh no! It's Handsome Jack; the most powerful and most gorgeous man I've ever met! I'm super terrified, yet strangely attracted!" Literally you look like you're going shit yourself, cupcake. I'm dying," Jack cackled as he began to search within the desk.

"But seriously, Mox has got to have a mirror in here somewhere. This is too priceless; it would be a waste if I were the only one to see it."

Elizabeth stood there dumbfounded as she watched the grown man giggle to himself. She struggled to find the right words to say. She contorted her mouth into a series of shapes trying to form some type of cognitive sentence but none came. She simply asked, "Where's Moxxi?"

"Killed her and stuffed her body into a trash compactor."

Elizabeth made an audible squeak as she jumped back and Jack laughed again. "For real, you think I'm that bad of a dude? That's hilarious!" He supported himself on the desk as he wiped a solitary tear from his eye.

"I mean I would do it, but maybe not to Moxxi. Well, if she pissed me off I'd bust her head open like a cantaloupe, but that's only because we got history. She ever tell you that? We used to date actually. Got down and dirty most of the time. Not gonna lie, probably in this chair."

"Where's Moxxi?" She repeated herself. Jack raised an eyebrow at her and his amusement faded.

"I bet you're real fun at parties. She stepped out for a bit. I told her she didn't have to be in here for this. She just needed to deliver and she did that flawlessly. Now you're all mine and we get a chance to talk. Doesn't that sound great, pumpkin?" He said flatly, scrunching his face and intertwining his fingers underneath his chin, "Take a seat."

Her mouth stretched into a pained half smile as she sat. _Yeah, great._

"What's with the face, pumpkin? You didn't really shit yourself did you?"

"So, what do you want exactly? You got me here. You must want something other than an audience to practice your witty one-liners on," She boldly said, trying to suppress a smile. He snorted slightly and looked her once over. Her smirk fell as his eyes scanned her; her cheeks turning red hot in response.

"You make me want to strangle you, but at the same time you make me laugh. For your sake I hope you keep that up," Jack said standing and suddenly towering over her, but she refused to flinch. Her body betrayed her defiance as it shook in what she could only assume was fear. Or… was it excitement?

This was honestly the most exhilarating thing to ever happen to her. The only rush she ever seemed to get anymore was when she had to order pizza over the phone and not online, but this; this was something else entirely. And as much as she hated to admit it, she craved the spontaneity. Despite the possibility of dying, she found it enthralling. Maybe she was crazy.

"You pissed me off the other day, and I'm not gonna lie when I say I spent a good chunk of my precious time planning on how to murder your ass. But it didn't matter which angle I went from, it all seemed all wrong," He rubbed his chin and stepped around the desk. His scent grew stronger as he circled around her. It was a lure that managed to pull her into him.

"Y-you… you were planning on killing me?" She asked incredulously, "For ignoring you after you called me stupid?" Jack waved his hand nonchalantly, "Details."

"I wanted to make you suffer, but strangulation and blunt force trauma didn't seem justifiable. Death in this case seemed a little too naughty even for my tastes. Despite what you may think, kitten, I _am_ a good guy," Jack grinned; his canines pressing into the bottom of his lip. For once, Elizabeth knew to hold her tongue.

"Still, I wanted some payback. Call it petty, but you did cross me, pumpkin, and I have a reputation to uphold. Can't have people going around calling Handsome Jack a bitch now can I? _Way_ too many throats to rip out; it'd just get messy. You know how it is," Jack said.

"No? I really don't," She said, squinting.

"No? Shame. Anyhoo, long story short, I wanted some good old-fashioned revenge and I wanted it to be _muy_ _dulce_." He said with a shiver, his eyes focusing on something far away, "So that got me thinking." She dared to steal a glance up at him as he leaned over her left shoulder from behind. He clutched his large hands on the back of her chair and his eyes came level with hers. They were unfaltering as they challenged each other.

"You sure do like to turn your nose up at me; try to ruffle my feathers. You try and act like I don't get to you, but we both know that just isn't true now, is it? Your stubborn act is cute and all, but I terrify the shit out of you and honestly, that just tickles me," He said, "So, believe me when I say I don't want to break your legs. No, no, no, far from it. What I want is to break you; you and that attitude of yours. That is the revenge I want," He whispered. His breath was hot against her face and it made her heart shake her entire chest.

He stared at her; his eyes travelling back and forth between both of her pupils. They seemed to wait for a response. The slits of her eyes thinned as she repeated slowly, "Your… point?"

Jack gave her cheek a quick double pat before he sauntered back behind the desk; his arms crossing behind his back as his right hand wrapped around the thickest part of his forearm. As she gazed down at those tantalizing, exposed arms, she noticed a blue tattoo on his wrist.

She marveled at how powerful he looked as he had his back to her. The image of Ares, the God of War, suddenly popped into her mind, and at once she was back in her Greek and Roman Studies class. She could practically still see the hellish God projected across the screen at the front of her classroom, brutally mutilating the frightened people of Greece.

Once she was brought back to reality, she let herself indulge in his impressive back muscles which folded his suit jacket neatly. As much as she hated to admit it, he definitely commanded attention.

He kept his back to her as he looked up at Moxxi's array of automotive posters plastered to the wall; his jawline set. Elizabeth had always respected Moxxi's limitless interest with machinery and engineering- and limitless talent to boot. Whenever she had car troubles- or any kind of trouble for that matter- she never hesitated to go to Mox. She had always seemed to be there for the girl when she needed her. Where was she now?

"I've been reading up on you," He said severing the uneasy quiet of the room, but unfortunately replacing it with an equal amount of uneasiness. The disclaimer came quickly, "Nothing creepy, all business."

He took a folder from the desk and opened it, licking his fingers to flip through the notes, "I noticed that you're a student at Opportunity University." He paused and looked back at her with a grin, "My University."

Elizabeth couldn't have felt more naked even if she had stripped down right there. He had been researching her? This guy was seriously crazy.

"Yes, I'm going to be graduating," She said under her breath, keeping her head down.

"Elizabeth Berry," She shuddered at the way her name slipped off his tongue, "Graduating with a Bachelor's in Psychology at the age of twenty-four. Skipped a year and decided Psych was a safe bet, huh?" He scoffed. She remained silent as he continued to obliterate her calm front.

"Despite living in the _wonderful, prosperous_ city of Opportunity you consider New Haven home," Jack shook his head disapprovingly as he gagged.

"Don't get me wrong, New Haven's great. Especially if you like having thieves and murderers sneak into your home in the middle of the night to hide underneath your bed and wait for you take to take a piss, so they can do horrible, unspeakable things to you. If that's your thing, I'm not one to judge. Frankly, I'd be a little impressed and more than slightly turned on."

Elizabeth stared down at her hands grasping the fabric at her knees. The whole room seemed to spin as her finger nails dug deeper into the denim of her jeans. As she tried to keep a hold on what little reality she had left, her knuckles blanched from her tightened grip. Her elbows locked as straight as an arrow and her shoulders were drawn up to her cheeks defensively. At this point, she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and never wake up.

Jack cleared his throat, obviously disappointed from her reaction, or lack thereof.

"Daughter of Marcia and Gerald Berry; now, that little tidbit happens to be my favorite; extra spicy stuff. So, I'll come back to it later, okay? Don't let me forget," He said as he wagged his finger.

"Let's see, you're going on your fourth year in the High-rise Chamber Choir," Jack said. He then leaned across the table; a few papers shifting under the weight of his hand, "You'll sing me a little something sometime won't you, precious?"

This time he didn't wait for a response as he faced the wall once more. Her eyes burned into the back of his head, and she hoped to God he could feel it.

 _Yeah, I'll sing you something. I'll sing over your corpse when your mother finds your bloated body wading in the river,_ She thought bitterly then backed that wreck of a train up, _Holy shit, where did that come from? Little dark, reel it back now, Elizabeth._

"A frequent member of the Feminism Activism Club- thank you for letting me know we have that by the way, I'll be sure to remove that as soon as possible- and you're a solid 3.2 student. Overall, you're pretty average, babe," He said turning his torso around, his eyebrows and arms raising simultaneously as his palms turned upward toward the ceiling, "It was definitely good reading material before beddy bye. Put me right to sleep."

"But imagine to my surprise when I found that you, my dear, received my Hyperion for Hope Scholarship," He pivoted on his heel, pointed a single finger at her, and gave a cheesy wink. The pose reminded her of a game show host who was about to announce her prize, but she had a feeling she wasn't about to get a new car.

"Should've told me you had 'rents who worked for me. Made my night when I read that. Just picture me sitting on my king size sipping away at some chamomile tea from my gold and diamond encrusted coffee mug, which alone costs more than you and your whole family combined," He gave an arrogant cackle and shrugged, "I should know, I did the math."

"You've got to be shitting me," Elizabeth murmured as she rubbed her tired eyes and cursed every penny she had ever received from Opportunity. Since her parents worked for Hyperion, she was granted a five-thousand dollar Scholarship to attend the school. At the time it was a no-brainer to apply, but now she felt like flipping burgers and walking dogs wouldn't have been so bad.

She regained what little composure she had left and pressed, "Your point?" She was growing sick of this game he was hosting. Whatever he had in store for her would be better than listening to him drone on like a douche.

"You, my lucky lady, are going to be working for your bestest buddy in the entire goddamn world, Handsome goddamn Jack," He said and threw down double deuces like he had just released a shit storm unto her, "Boom! Best revenge!"

She blinked. This was it? This was the big punchline, the big reveal? She was wary for the catch. Truthfully, she didn't know how to take it, so she just blinked again. He seemed less than enthused at her indifference.

"You know, I took a good five minutes out of my day to plan this, the least you could do is act a little more distraught. It's just polite, kid."

She perked at his words and put the back of her hand to her forehead melodramatically and moaned in grievance. He glared on as she dared a, "Woe is me."

"You keep bringing my hype train down, pumpkin, and I don't appreciate it. See, I don't think you understand what type of hell I'm going to put you through..." He warned, his eyes darkening under the furrow of his brow like a storm cloud shadowing a valley.

"Well, for one, do you normally conjugate your name with an expletive? It seems like a normal thing," She said plainly, making his face sour, "And two, I work for Moxxi."

"You _worked_ for Moxxi. Now you don't. Now you work for _me_ , capiche? Let me know if I'm going too fast for you, babe. You know what? I'll just slow it down. Don't want to overheat that pretty little head of yours," He said, mockingly. Each word he uttered was painfully slow and deliberate. Every single one seemed like a slap in the face.

"Mox works for me, yeah? That means vicariously- oh, sorry. Big word! That means you do too. Wherever I want you, you're going to be. She's already handed over your paperwork, so you're all mine. Welcome to the Hyperion life kid," He shook his balled fists in excitement, "Oh, I can't wait to see you crumble under the beautiful monotony of it all!"

Mox already handed her over? Just like that? Her grip tightened on her jeans and she could hear the grind of teeth echo inside her head.

"Yeah, I get that, but what's in it for you?" She asked, subconsciously trying to pick his brain. The Psych major in her longed to solve the puzzle that was Handsome Jack, but each time she thought she got closer to completion another piece would come up missing.

"I mean, not to offend but your plan isn't exactly what I would call "sweet _"_ revenge. Pretty annoying at best," She spoke genuinely, but the look he gave her was proof enough she had provoked him.

"Oh, you're one of those. All quiet until you got some smart ass comment to make. No wonder I wanted to kill you. Okay, so what exactly is your type of revenge?" Jack asked. What was he doing? Was he playing with her?

The dull expression on his face screamed frustration. _Someone's obviously not a fan of sharing the spotlight,_ Elizabeth thought. He had made such a grandeur of things, she was sure he was dissatisfied on how unaffected she seemed. Now _that_ was sweet revenge. She mused a bit before carefully answering. The slow tapping of her finger on her chin made his frown deepen.

"Depends on the scenario and depends on the person. In my opinion, it's ideal if you're able to remove yourself from the situation completely and move on with your life without resorting to something petty. Of course slashing tires and smashing bottles over heads would feel good for a while, but in the end nothing changes," She said, forgetting for a moment who the hell she was actually talking to.

The lethargic feel of the words suddenly transported her back to her old Philosophy class. She could still see her Professor at the front; always drunk, but somehow acutely aware of his surroundings. His laid back behavior had won her favor, and she was well aware of how much of a suck up she was around him. Thankfully, he didn't seem to mind. She still occasionally visited him to help grade papers or to take care of his incredibly intelligent, red Macaw, and he in return was always happy for the company.

When her surroundings came back into place, she could suddenly feel Jack's unfaltering gaze upon her and she stumbled over her words slightly, "N-Now, k-kindness, as cliché as it sounds, is almost the best type of revenge. Kindness is acid to the face compared to anything physical. It messes with the other person's head, because they're stuck on hating you but they don't know why. So, in the end they end up being the dick. That's my type of revenge."

There was a moment of silence as Elizabeth looked up at Jack expectantly. Her shoulders sank as a loud guffaw burst from Jack who had doubled over laughing. Elizabeth stared on, unamused.

"You've got to be kidding me! That's the best you got? Kindness?!" He howled as he held his gut, "What world have you been living in where kindness has ever been as satisfying as a punch to the goddamn balls, kiddo? It's like you stepped out of a children's book. I'm crying!"

She glowered up at him through the bottom of her lids; her head low and her mouth pinched with anger. Before she could think, she let a tidal wave crash through her lips.

"At least I'm not some lonely coward who can only kill or threaten people to get what he wants!" She yelled; the thump of the bassline from the next room surging her anger.

Her eyes widened as a hand slapped over her mouth, but it was too late. The words were out in the open, but they hadn't seemed to reach Jack quite yet. He looked as if he were still processing, his narrowed eyes making her stomach flop.

He stood straight, his face unreadable as he put his hands in the pockets of his dark slacks and made his way back around the desk. He sat down at the front of the desk overtaking her view of the whole back of the room and propped his feet on either side of her chair, effectively pinning her to the seat. She shook as he cocked his head to the side and leaned down toward her; their noses barely touching.

Jack's twisted grin revealed pink gums and his nose flared as a single strand of dark hair fell to his forehead. The shadows that darkened the creases of his pale, sculpted face reminded her of a marble bust. It was startling how animalistic he was when unhinged.

He must have noticed her uneasiness, because his default smug demeanor returned as he coolly smoothed the lock back into place. The animal was gone for now and replaced once again with the man, if she could even call him that.

"I think the last time we met- and correct me if I'm wrong here- I let you off with a warning for being a total bitch to me. Now, you know who I am and you're still acting like a thunderbitch. What's the deal, kiddo?" He probed, "Is Uncle Jacky making you upset? If you want to let off some steam, go ahead. Be my guest."

He turned his face to the side and patted his exposed cheek. She could clearly see the weird surgical markings at the side of his face again. He declared, "I'll even give you the first shot."

Despite feeling out of control herself, Elizabeth elected to ignore his antics as she attempted to reclaim the reigns of the spiraling situation, "W-What if I don't want to work for you? I'll just quit."

"Oh man, I hadn't thought of that. Well shucks, this day is just going to the pits. Boy, I was really hoping you'd want to work with your good old pal, Handsome Jack, but it looks like there's nothing I can do to change your mind," He groaned, sticking out his bottom lip. His pupils went skyward as he added, "I'm guessing your parents will be fine with unemployment too then, huh?"

She froze. There it was. The catch.

"You wouldn't," She said as she let out a breathy choke.

"Yeah," He scrunched his nose with a smirk and gave a curt nod, "I really would. You see, kiddo, you quit and I'll see to it that mommy and daddy never work in Pandora again." His voice raised pitch and his shoulders shrugged with a cartoonish languidness as if he were speaking to a toddler. God he was an ass. He continued, "And judging by their annual income, they really, _really_ need that Handsome Jack dough in their life."

"You can't! We're struggling enough as it is; they'll die out there!" She begged. The surprise was clear on his face when she put a hand on his knee. She used this to her advantage. She gave a few dry sobs hoping to touch what was left of his heart or whatever the hell he had pumping away in his chest.

"My mother is sick and my father can hardly pay for her hospital bills. That's why I work overtime most days. If none of us can make any money, she'll die, Jack," Elizabeth said then added a sickly sweet, "sir."

Okay, so she was lying through her teeth. Her mom was fine, but she desperately needed leverage. She wanted nothing to do with his "proposition", if you could even call it that. Her mouth formed a hard line as she studied him, waiting for any reaction. His hard stare forced the clockwork within her head to turn as she began to strategize her next move.

She sniffled a few more times before lowering her head slightly, but letting her eyes travel up to meet his. With a gentle squeeze of his knee, she pleaded with a pitiful brokenness that she, herself, couldn't help but be impressed by, "Please don't do this."

She could feel a giggle arise in her throat, but she dared not release it. Instead, she looked to the ground away from his view and smirked; her hair shielding her face from his watchful eye. She lifted her head back up to give him a heartbreaking pout. As she moped she proudly thought, Screw _you, Handsome Jack._

He gave her a doleful look as his hand met her cheek with a surprising softness. It was startling how warm his touch was. As his hand slid down to her chin to raise it, he smiled mournfully. He let a dejected sigh dance off his tongue and the hope that she had him- hook, line, and sinker- bubbled within her gut.

"I've been around for a while and I've had a lot of people I care about hurt me. I don't really have anyone who wants to stay around me for very long. It can really wear on a guy, you know? It probably started with my parents. They weren't around much. I don't know, maybe that's the reason I lash out and push people away," He whispered looking down to the side.

She was quiet as a silent cringe shriveled her previous confidence down to a nub. She definitely didn't mean to open this can of worms. The moment Jack laid his head down to cradle his face within his hands, Elizabeth knew she had effed up. She tried to peek through his fingers, but his large hands covered his slender features entirely. As his shoulders shook silently, her belly turned hollow.

Then a sudden realization popped into her head hitting her like a crow bar to the face. As she gradually accepted the unwanted epiphany, she took in a slow breath. _Uh oh,_ she thought, _I'm the asshole._

"Jack, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- I didn't know, that is-" Elizabeth stumbled over her words looking frantically around the room. What could she say? She straightened her posture and placed an awkward hand on his shoulder. She was terrible at comforting people, but she would try regardless.

When she was younger, her father being the natural care-giver he was, had tried his best to teach Elizabeth how to be a more caring person herself, but she had obviously not inherited his talent. Still, her empathy was vast and she hated to see people in pain; even people as scummy as Handsome Jack.

As she ran her thumb over his shoulder in what she hoped was comfort, she said, "I won't leave, Jack. If that's what you want. I'm sorry I even brought this up. I won't-"

Suddenly, a harsh snicker spewed from in between his fingers; a snicker that managed to cut through her words, slicing them off at the seam. Her heart sank down to her toes as she saw the man's body shake with laughter, his head still in his hands.

"Jesus, I have literally never met someone so gullible! It's almost sweet how naïve you are, cupcake; naïve and just _so_ stupid!" Jack kicked his heels back, hitting the front of the desk and his fists slapped down on to his thighs. He was laughing so hard she couldn't even hear it anymore. All that came from his throat was the occasional snort. The clanging of the desk filled the whole room as he raved on.

"I can't believe you bought that shit! "I'm Handsome Jack and my parents were abusive. I don't have any friends. Wah, wah, wah!" Oh God, I'm such a freaking rockstar!" He kicked one leg out and gave a quick strum of his air guitar.

The hilarity of it all passed her like a baseball that had narrowly missed nailing her straight in the skull. Although, she could still feel the cold sting of the wind graze her cheek like a razor. With a flare of her nose, she released her tender grip on his shoulder. She would allow him no such sympathies.

"Oh, come on. I've seen a lot of bad acting, but you babe, you take the cake. Don't be mad that I'm smarter than you. A sick mom? You think I haven't heard that one a million times before…" Jack said as he ran his fingers through his hair, "Well, I mean, some of them were probably true, but do you really think I give a rat's ass about some idiot's dying mother? Moms are overrated anyway. I didn't have one and look how successful I turned out!" He puffed up like a proud bird as his feathers took up the entire room, suffocating her.

Without her consent, her eyes rolled so far back into her head she swore she could see the gray matter of her brain.

Jack immediately caught the disrespect and the air around him thickened like a blood clot through an artery. He was a damn spring trap. One wrong move and he would flip entirely. She could only compare his temperament to that of a hurricane; civil and calm in the eye, but if you pressed too far against its designated boundaries, you were asking for trouble.

Fear shot through her from his terrifying stare. She instantly stiffened as her hands clasped one another in her lap and she looked at him attentively. The last thing she wanted was to make this worse than it already was.

He smirked yet again as he muttered a nauseating, "Good girl." That line sickened her. She didn't want to be obedient. She wanted to defy him; to make him mad. She wanted him to whine and bitch. Instead, she was doing exactly what he wanted. What he expected from her. What he expected from Pandora.

"So, what's it going to be, kitten: Dead parents and a life of eating and shitting in the street, or a chance to work with the greatest guy in all of Pandora?" He leveled the options out with his hands, his arms tilting back and forth; one clearly heavier than the other.

What other choice did she have?

"When do I start?"

 **Moxxi's Red Light: Bathroom**

Tears streamed down the woman's face, effectively creating streaks of pale against the porcelain white of her makeup. How could she do this? She was supposed to be stronger than this. Why the hell was she still afraid of that jackass? He had no control over her. That's what she desperately wanted to convince herself.

A knock came from the bathroom door and she replied with a composed, "Occupied, sugar; will only take a minute." She then went back to wallowing in her own self-pity. She held her face within her hands, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the fluorescent lighting.

Here she was trapped in a bathroom stall while Jack was undoubtedly sinking his claws into that poor girl. She could only imagine the manipulation Jack was putting her through. Elizabeth was practically her second daughter and how had she repaid her? By throwing her to the sharks.

As she sat atop the lonely toilet, the cold ceramic chilling her exposed thighs underneath her form-fitting dress, she could still hear his voice burn within her head. He always seemed to stick there.

"I want you to call her. Call her and tell her to come here. That's all you have to do," Jack purred, "Your hands will be clean, Mox."

Moxxi wouldn't have said yes. She _would_ have told him to leave and she _would_ have told him keep his face out of her bar- she should have… that is until Jack brought Scooter and Ellie into the equation. He swayed her with a, "It'd be a shame if something were to happen."

If there was even the slightest chance that she could protect her children from the irrationality that was Handsome Jack, you bet your ass she would take it. Even so, it didn't numb the pain of the call any less.

"Why are you so obsessed with her? She's just a kid, Jack. Will ruining this kid's life really make you feel any better?" Moxxi pleaded; her accent slipping through but for once she did not care, "She hasn't done nothing- anything to you. Just leave her alone."

Jack toyed around with a few things strewn about Moxxi's office, appearing as though he hadn't heard her but the grin on his face was all too telling. He took a wrapped sweet from the jar she had sitting on her desk and waved it in her face, "What the hell is this? Hard candy, Mox. Really? What are you, some kind of a grandma?"

"Don't ignore me, Jack," Moxxi said, swatting his hand, "Are you going to kill her? Will I just be sending her off to the slaughter if I hand her over to you?"

He gave her a long stare before walking toward her filing cabinet. He noticed a small doll sitting on the top of the dusty cabinet and gently wrapped his fingers around it, taking it with him as he circled the room like a caged lion.

"You bruise me," He said, clutching his chest, "And no, I don't want anything like that. I just want somebody who's competent enough to organize my files, but stupid enough to try and cross me whenever I make her mad. You should have seen it; she's really cute when she's pissed."

"People are so boring nowadays. All of my employees are too scared of me to do _anything,_ but _her?_ She's still got that young, unbridled feistiness I'm looking for, and frankly, I just want to have her around to see all the dumb stuff she does. Call it selfish, but I think she could be a laugh riot. Something to make my day go by faster," He said, crossing his arms.

His grip tightened on the doll; the air trapped within it making the doll's brown eyes bulge. He placed his thumb on the head of the doll and began to press. "Then when I'm done, I'll kill her whole family and make her watch."

Moxxi gave an audible gasp as her shoulders tensed, "You're not serious…are you?"

Handsome Jack gave a low chuckle as the pressure from his thumb popped the doll's head clean off.

"I'll keep my options open. Man, it's good to be king."

 **I love writing Jack's character. He's just so deliciously nasty. Thanks for the reviews and favs guys! Hope you're enjoying!**


	4. Hyperion Hoe Bags

**Hyperion Hoe Bags**

She stood outside of the tall, platinum skyscraper holding her mitten clad hands within the pits of her arms; the bitter cold cutting through her winter coat like an icicle through soft, muddied ground. She kept her head down and hidden from the wind within the warmth of her scarf as her knees knocked together from unforgiving shivers.

Harsh wind whipped her sandy locks across rosy cheeks as light from the sun finally rose and spread its rays across downtown Opportunity; the dark velvet of twilight suddenly replaced with the soft golden glow of dawn. The empty streets were ghost-like as she searched for any sign of life and eventually spotted a single stray cat making its way down a side alley. She clicked her tongue trying to get it to come to her, but with a flick of its tail it traveled down the alleyway leaving her heartbroken.

With her back planted firmly against the main entrance of the building, she warmed her vocal chords with a low hum. As she descended a major scale, she glanced up at the vast, daunting structure of the Helios; vertigo hitting her hard as she did so. The sunlight reflected from the multitude of windows and thawed her from the inside out.

Just then, from the corner of her eye she noticed a figure making its way down the pavement creating a silhouette directly in the path of the rising sun. She shielded her eyes from the brilliance as she attempted to make out the figure as it drew nearer. A man took shape.

He was slender and tall and was clad in a baggy, yellow jumpsuit, and even from a distance she could see the Hyperion logo he was sporting on his chest. His brown hair was slicked back from his slim, pale face and his eyes were downcast to the ground. The difference between his mature attributes and his awkward lankiness left her guessing his age. She estimated he couldn't have been more than thirty.

He trudged down the sidewalk against the blowing wind, and with each step he took forward his feet seemed to grow heavier as if he were walking through wet cement. As he lifted his head and their eyes met, his step seemed pause in the air for a moment, stopping time altogether. A shy smile crossed the man's face as he pulled a set of keys out from his jumpsuit.

"I don't usually see people out here this early and if I do, they usually try to steal my shoes. Please don't do that, okay?" The man grinned as he skimmed through his ring of keys. She smiled and suddenly felt warmer in spite of the cold. She said, "Don't tempt me."

"What _are_ you doing out here? I feel like I would recognize your face," He said and cringed, "That… sounded less creepy in my head, heh."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, it definitely sounded more creepy not in your head," She teased giving a strained smile.

He blushed in embarrassment as he stuttered over his words. The sudden pink in his cheeks made her laugh interweave with her apology she tried to spit out, "I'm just kidding! I'm sorry, bud." She noted the deep shade of pink his cheeks turned, and his lips gave way to a smile as he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Playing on my crippling self-doubt; always good for a laugh!" He coughed into his gloved hand as he tried to unlock the door. When it failed to open, he went back to skimming.

"Oh yeah? Well then, I'll be sure to do it more often," She said, "And I'm just doing what I was told."

"And what was that?"

"To be here at five sharp; no earlier, no later," She said crossing her arms.

He raised an eyebrow, "But the doors don't even open until 7."

"Yeah, I figured as much after the first hour. The second hour was just overkill."

While she seethed at the thought of Jack sitting in his bed laughing at her own expense, the man offered her a different kind of laugh; a laugh that was neither mocking nor degrading. Instead, it was genuine. There was no hidden malice, no judgement. It was just nice. After his laughter had died down, she was surprised to find herself smiling as well.

"So, I take it you're new here?" He asked testing another key. He let out a quick "Shit" when it didn't work.

"Unfortunately," She chuckled garnering a quizzical look from the man, "Yes, I am. I kind of got pulled into the job actually. The head honcho himself handpicked me, believe it or not. Lucky me right?" Elizabeth blew a raspberry. The man was silent for a moment as he registered her words.

"Handsome Jack? You're telling me _the_ Handsome Jack hired you?" The man turned to her suddenly star-eyed and mouth agape, "Oh, God. I should be so lucky! I'm just grateful when he remembers my paycheck, let alone my name. The closest he's gotten is 'Rice' and I don't have the heart to tell him he's wrong… Well, I did once but he spit in my coffee, so I just let it go now. 'Rice' is good enough for me."

She saw the opportunity and took it, "So, what is your name?"

"Rhys."

"Reeze?"

"Rhys.

"Roose?"

"Rice."

"Ah, gotcha."

"So, I'm guessing you're some type of whiz kid then. Are you like an incredibly skilled technician or like a super engineer? I am truly humbled by your presence. I am but a lowly servant, my lady," He said giving a slight bow. He chuckled pathetically then gave a weary sigh, "That was lame."

She looked to the side and shrugged, her hands coming out of her pockets, "Nope, I'm just Elizabeth. I'm only here because I pissed Jack off last week and now I have to work for him."

There was a moment before he laughed, "Good one."

"Not kidding," She insisted, "Wish I were."

His brows knitted together in confusion as he blinked once and then once more for good measure. He shook his head as he tried to wrap his brain around the situation, "Wait- what really? He hired you for that? I don't think I follow."

"Trust me; I'm just as confused as you are. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches Pandora throws at you," Elizabeth said, "I learned that a while ago."

"…Okay- so, you're totally sure you're not missing anything? Got anything suppressed bouncing around in there?" He asked giving a knock at his head.

She frowned and he put his hands up defensively, "I'm just saying that if people got a raise every time somebody pissed off Jack, it'd be Christmas 24/7 around here. Instead, they get thrown off the fortieth floor." Elizabeth's head tilted to the sky as she noticed just how high the fortieth floor was. She then took a step back from the brownish stain she was standing on. Rhys put another key into the door and said, "You have to admit it doesn't make any sense."

A click was heard and Rhys pulled the door back for her to enter, "After you."

She muttered a grateful "thanks" as she walked passed him and into the heated building, and as she passed she caught a whiff of fabric softener and hair gel. It entered her nostrils like a burst of flavor on the tongue contrast to the flat, frigid aroma of the morning air.

The heel of her boots clicked across the charcoal marble flooring of the main lobby and echoed off into the open air as she marveled at the sight before her.

Everything was sleek as hell from the spotless, glass windows to the silver, crackling fire place. To her right was a crescent welcoming desk and at the far end of the room glistening elevators lined the wall. In the middle of it all was a chrome fountain feature and when she looked up to the main wall she could see the massive Hyperion logo. It quickly reminded her exactly where she was. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't expecting the whole place to be covered in fire and brimstone. _Corporate hell,_ she thought.

"Nice fountain," She commented watching the water spill over the marble.

"You like that? I think it's kind of gaudy."

"I eat that shit up."

"Hot damn, fountain queen."

"But seriously, I'm in the same boat as you, Rhys. I have no idea why I'm here. I was just working night shift at my old job when _he_ decided to pop in. He started being… you know, _him_ and I didn't take it very well," She said as she rubbed her cheeks trying to gain feeling back into them.

"Where did you work?" He asked.

"The bakery down the street," She answered taking her heavy coat off as she neared the digital fireplace; the artificial heat warming her bones.

"…Hold on; was it last Friday at the Sugar and Spice?"

"…Yeah, why?" She said slowly, wary of where he was going with this.

"Okay, check it. Who am I?" Rhys' face melted into a sour expression as he slouched against the door frame and crossed his arms sassily, "Welcome to Sugar and Spice where a smile is guaranteed. How can I make your day sweeter?"

As he straightened his posture, that cute smile eventually found its way back home on his face, "How do you like my acting? I'll actually be playing Meryl Streep in her upcoming documentary." She cocked her head to the side and pinched her eyebrows trying to comprehend. He gave a nervous laugh, "S-Sorry, It's uh- it's you. I came in the other day. I got a bagel and coffee."

"… _Oh_ , raisin bagel guy! Oh shit, sorry about that," She winced remembering her behavior, "I'm usually not that much of an asshole. It was a long day."

"Good, I'm 'raisin bagel guy' now. That is my legacy," Rhys awkwardly pumped his arm.

He then put a hand on the side of his neck as he said with a chuckle, "But yeah, you were definitely a little… _bold_ that night. Looking back, I can kind of see why Jack would blow up at you. A guy like that must have a lot on his mind, and I'm sure the last thing he expected to get was backtalk from some college kid. He's probably used to getting a lot of respect and I mean- he deserves it. The man is single-handedly trying to fix Pandora. It's pretty admirable when you think about it."

The mood suddenly shifted. Her pupils traveled horizontally, over the hills and through the dales to deliver to Rhys one of the biggest side eyes of the century, "I'm sorry, but have I entered the twilight zone?"

Rhys blushed and immediately began to backtrack once he felt the mood change, "I didn't mean- what I meant to say- he probably wasn't…" He made a lot of gestures with his hands but he couldn't think of a single thing that could salvage this inevitable ship wreck. He sighed and settled with a, "I didn't mean it like that."

"What _did_ you mean? That I deserved to be harassed?"

"No! I'm just saying Handsome Jack has done a lot for Pandora. He's brought life back into this place. He's cut the crime rate in half and has disbanded ten gangs in Opportunity alone. Imagine what he'll be able to do with the rest of Pandora."

"I'd rather not. It sounds like a nightmare. And most of those gangs were created because he's nothing more than a money-hungry, self-obsessed narcissist. If you believe that he would take the time out his precious day to even think about helping his citizens, I'm sorry but you're dead wrong," She said trying to slice and tear at this pedestal Rhys had created for Jack; a pedestal he didn't deserve.

As her voice hit the open air, she could suddenly feel the security camera's presence burn the back of her neck. Her hair began to stand on end as pins and needles electrified her skin. Out of her peripheral she could see a single camera facing down at her. She knew she was being watched. With a gulp, she managed to pull her eyes away from the camera and back at Rhys.

She knew she was going about this all wrong, but she desperately wanted for him to see what she could see. So, the venom continued to spew, "He doesn't help them, so they help themselves. If people had the necessary means to live they wouldn't turn to violence. Trying to live is a basic human instinct. Living is human right."

"But he's given jobs to so many people!"

"Coming from a Hyperion employee," She snapped.

"Holy shit, no way!" Rhys exclaimed as he pulled on his jumpsuit to look at the logo on his chest, "Well, I'll be damned. How did that get there?" She took in a slow breath trying to calm herself.

"And now you're one too, funny how that works," He said as he went behind the welcome desk to turn on the lights, "All I'm saying is that Jack has a weird way of helping people."

Her answer was thoughtless and sharp, "Like murdering them?"

Rhys went rigid, his hand resting on the light switch.

"No offense-" He started but before he could finish, she cut him off, "When people say 'no offense' they're usually about to offend somebody."

"…No offense, but you weren't all sunshine and rainbows the other night. Actually, you made me feel pretty stupid… _Stupider_ ," Rhys said letting a smile cross his pale, pink lips; both their anger dissipating some. She stifled a laugh with her hand, embarrassment coloring her face. Her laxness helped Rhys loosen; his languid disposition slowly returning.

"And hey, I get that it was a bad night and that you were in a crappy mood or whatever, but you have to admit, you were acting like a real bit-" He stopped when he realized just how much he valued his life, "B-Bit cranky. And when you fight fire with fire you get burned. That's what you did to Jack, isn't it? You got burned." Rhys mused over his choice of words then shook his head slightly, "Not that kind of burn but the other kind- you know what I mean."

Elizabeth pulled her mouth to the side as she took in the brutal honesty like a honey soaking into a piece of bread. The tension in her jaw released as she suddenly felt the guilt twist in her gut like a knot.

"…I'm sorry. I won't try to make an excuse for myself. I was a grade-a bitch and I am very, very sorry," She said as she looked down to the marble flooring, absentmindedly twirling a piece of hair. Although her attention was drawn to her countless split ends, Rhys seemed transfixed with her fingers which were carefully entwined between blonde locks. Her nostrils then flared as she added, "But I won't act like Jack didn't get what he deserved."

Rhys gave a sigh. As much as he admired her spirit, she was definitely working her way up the ladder of the most bull-headed people he knew. She was just under Sasha at this point.

"Okay, real talk. You don't have any special skills, no specific talents, yet you're going to be working _here_ at Hyperion; the life source of Pandora's economy. Do you even like Hyperion?" He asked exasperated.

"Not a fan of guns or the mass production of weapons in general. And _no offense_ , but I don't think I can do any more damage to Pandora than what Hyperion has already done. Fun fact: when my friend Jess and I were in high school we used to think of fun ways to insult Hyperion. 'Hyperion Hoe Bags' is my personal favorite," Elizabeth stated and quickly added, " _No offense_ , of course."

"Okay, let's just agree to disagree, sound good? Just remember that Jack gave you a job. He didn't have to but he did anyway. One that'll pay a hell of a lot better than some local bakery," Rhys said and pulled at his uniform, "Better than being a janitor, I'll tell you that much."

"Wait, you're throwing me for a loop. Just a few seconds ago you were singing Hyperion's praises, but you don't even like your job?"

"I was on my way to becoming vice president of the corporation. I'd say this is a bit of a step down, wouldn't you agree?" He said bitterly.

"You were?! What happened, did you forget to pick up Jack's laundry?"

"Nope, I was demoted. This asshole, Vasquez, and I were competing for the same position for months and when he finally got the job he made sure I was lowered to bottom tier. I won't be down here for long, though; that I can guarantee."

"That's super shitty," She huffed, "But you're pretty optimistic about it."

"I've worked too hard to give up now. Ever since I graduated, all I've known is Hyperion. I'd just be giving Vasquez what he wants by calling it quits. So, I'll wait for him to slip up, and who knows? Maybe I got something up my sleeve even Vasquez won't see coming. I mean, I don't want to brag but I've been told my magic tricks are pretty good. I didn't win my middle school talent show just because of my good looks."

He laughed then his voice cracked in confession, "…I didn't win. I got third to a thirteen year old juggler and a girl who sang a ballad from Les Miserables."

"The judges obviously couldn't recognize real talent if it hit them in the face," She said.

"Right? I'm so unappreciated in my time. And I thought I had it in the bag with my Twenty One Card Trick. Left everyone questioning reality," He gave a willowy wave of his arms as a mystifying noise resonated through the O shape of his mouth. The sight made her snort. She reassured, "I would have voted for you!"

"Thanks. Fourteen years too late, but I appreciate it," Rhys smirked.

"I'll be rooting for you, Rhys," Elizabeth said, "And if it makes any difference, I believe in you. I'll see you around, okay?"

With a curl of her fingers she made her way toward the elevators. He watched her short hair brush her shoulders as she turned to go and mouthed a silent 'bye' as she left. His eye then caught a pack of gum falling from her purse.

"Wait-" He said bending over to pick it up. She turned as he reached out to her and their gloved hands touched. Then Elizabeth felt something odd. Elizabeth took a moment to run her hand over the angular edges of Rhys' _hand_ as he continued to study her; a blush taking over his cheeks. When she gave him a look of confusion, Rhys lifted his sleeve to reveal a bionic arm.

"Hyperion work. Had it done after I left college because I could finally afford it. Same with this," He said pointing to his left eye. She hadn't even noticed its glassy blue makeup contrast to the natural brown of his right eye, "I was a sick kid and nothing about me worked right, but I never had the money to do anything about it. That's why I like this place. It gives people a chance to succeed. It gave me my chance."

She marveled at the craftsmanship and admired the design of the connecting joints of his arm. It was colored in Hyperion's signature yellow. He noticed her staring and teased with a flex, "Pretty impressive, right?"

"Very," She admitted. She then then began to lift up her own sleeve, "Definitely more impressive than this."

The arm she revealed was covered in scarring; little designs of white lightning that decorated her skin. Once untouched flesh now smothered in the pale blemishes. It looked as if someone had brought a hacksaw down on to the limb and carved 'til their hearts content like a chainsaw to a fresh Mahogany. Rhys shook his head at the sight and asked, "Whoa, what happened?"

Elizabeth rubbed up and down her arm feeling the textures of the scarring tickle her fingers, "When I was little, I got separated from my parent's at a Farmers' Market. I don't remember how, but it was probably my fault. I was always screwing around; always reckless." She laughed as she shook her head, "Anyway, it was one of the biggest turnouts they had had in years. There was literally a tidal wave of people, and me being the rational ten-year old I was, thought the world was going to collapse in on itself. Not gonna lie, at the time it was comparable to D-Day."

"You're never too young to have a Vietnam flashback," Rhys pointed out.

Elizabeth snorted, "That was Word War II, dummy."

"War…war never changes," Rhys said gravely, and they both laughed at their own stupidity.

"Anyway, I tried to find my parents amongst the crowds of people when suddenly this guy just came up and grabbed my arm. He started pulling and I freaked out. Before he could drag me into the nearest alleyway, a few locals started helping. The man then pulled out a serrated knife and just started going to town on my arm," She hesitated as she remembered the mental picture of her own blood spilling on to her small, pink shoes, "…I had never seen so much blood. The guy managed to get a few more stabs in before the people pried him off me."

"I was rushed to the hospital and they were able to save the arm, but it took months of rehabilitation to get it back into working condition," She said, balling her hand into a fist. Rhys took her hand into his and looked it over. "Damn, we could have been twins," He said with a smirk.

People started flooding in the doors, heads down as they crowded toward the elevator doors. Some had their noses to their watches checking the time, while others had their ear planted firmly to their cellphone. She felt a push come at her from the side and then another at her back and she quickly realized she and Rhys were clogging up the walkway like two pebbles in a faucet.

"Go. You don't want to be late for your first day of work," Rhys said shooing her off. As she walked away she heard him call out from behind her, "Have any idea what the day has in store?"

"Not the slightest clue," She said shaking her head and pressing the button to the elevator. Once the door opened people flooded in around her, "Still not sure what Jack has planned for me, but I am terrified."

"You hide it well."

She smirked as his eyes sparkled with playfulness, "Nice meeting you, Rhys."

 **7:32 a.m.**

Elizabeth felt like she had been on the elevator for what seemed like hours. With every floor ascended, a horde of people would pile out of the elevator only to have a new horde pile back in. As the doors shut on the thirty-first floor, she took a look around at her fellow employees but was only met with necks craned over phone screens. She followed suit.

 _Mornin. First day in hell. Wish me luck!~_

 _And hope you do well on ur chem test 3_

 _ **Delivered 7:35 a.m.**_

Jess wouldn't be up at this hour since she didn't have class until eleven but Elizabeth was knew Jess loved waking up to texts. Unlike Elizabeth, Jess was a diligent sleeper and practically a professional at getting all nine hours- maybe closer to twelve. Being a Biology major Jess' schedule was incredibly packed, but what amazed Elizabeth was how in control Jess was of it all. She was naturally smart and gifted in all things science and math, she was head of five different clubs, and she kept a 4.0 with ease. On top of that, she still found time to go out to parties. As much as she admired her dexterity, it made Elizabeth's head swim.

Elizabeth could barely go to class without feeling overwhelmed with all the stuff she had to do. So, what would she do? Procrastinate obviously. Every time she so much as opened her planner to check what was due, she could literally feel herself start to shut down.

Her thoughts traveled back to Rhys and she smiled to herself. Although he might have been second-hand embarrassment personified, she admired his personality. She had a feeling he would make this place just a little bit more bearable.

She then caught sight of another security camera hovering just above her head in the corner of the elevator. With a huff through her nostrils, she scowled at it. It was a terrible feeling being watched.

As the elevator neared the top floor, more people began filing out until eventually she was left all alone with nothing but the tune of elevator music to occupy her frantic thoughts. She tried to straighten her posture, hoping she seemed more confident than what she felt. With a jolt, the elevator stopped and she stepped out into Handsome Jack's office.

If the décor of the lobby was impressive, Jack's office was undeniably awesome. As she stepped out of the elevator, a trail of bright blue lit up the lustrous glass floor, mimicking an unraveling carpet. It beckoned to her, welcoming her into the office's depths and, like an idiot, she took the plunge.

The lofty ceiling allowed light from the gigantic windows to bathe the room in blinding yellow. At the back center of the room was Jack's desk. The steps elevating it were also lit up and the light from the rising sun washed the desk in golden rays. It reminded her of a throne. It all felt incredibly futuristic, like she was in an entirely different world, and the one thing she couldn't help but notice was that it all smelled like _him._ She wanted to hate it but the scent persuaded her senses and dulled her disgust.

It then resurfaced when she noticed a number of portraits of Jack hanging from the walls accompanied by a bust of him sitting on a podium. As she approached the bust she whispered an apathetic, "Tacky." As she studied the bust's chiseled face, she noticed it didn't seem to quite capture Jack's personality. She couldn't quite pinpoint what was missing, but something was off. What was-?

"There's my shining star! _Comment allez-vous mon chou_? Is the she-devil ready for her first big day of work?" He clapped excitedly as he whipped his coat off in one extravagant movement, "Because I sure am! Could hardly sleep I was so excited. Kept thinking of fun things we- I mean, _you_ could do for the day." There it was. The talking. At least the bust knew how to shut up.

She could feel his presence at her back. His approach was that of a predator stalking its prey, ready to sink its teeth into unsuspecting flesh and to never let go. Too bad she wasn't prey.

"Nice French. Did you look it up on Google translate before you got here?" She asked keeping her attention on the statue. It seemed to glare back up at her. When she heard the sound of footsteps halt followed by a deep inhalation, her fingers immediately went to her lips to hide a smirk.

"Still got that unbridled feminine rage I see. Thought the early hours would have sucked it right out of you, but you're a resilient little shit, I'll give you that. Maybe another hour will cool you off. How does 4 a.m. sound?" He threatened in her ear, "And it's called culture, sweetheart. Something you Pandorians could use more of. You know, instead of the usual festivities of inbreeding and being scared of fire."

He straightened his suit jacket as he slid across the slick flooring to claim his throne; his steps light and rhythmic with the music in his head. As he dipped down into his chair, he propped his legs up on to the table and let out a content sigh, "Perfect fit." He then beckoned to her with the wiggle of his index finger, and she reluctantly trudged up to meet him at his desk.

"Here's a list of things I want done by noon," He handed her a slip of parchment paper and squeezed her cheek, "My little assistant." Elizabeth's jaw dropped as she went down the day's agenda. It was filled to the brim with a seemingly endless stream of odd jobs, and as soon as she read "pick up my dry cleaning" her blood began to boil.

"You want all of these done by noon? That's impossible! There has to be a hundred things on here!" She exclaimed.

He turned to his laptop and began typing, "Then you better get started. See? Made sure you wouldn't be twiddling your thumbs all day. Didn't want you to think Uncle Jackie was holding out on you."

"Some of these don't even make any sense! 'Videotape yourself eating a spoonful of cinnamon and put it on EchoTube'. " She said clutching her throbbing head. She felt like she had bought a one way ticket to crazy town.

"I like to laugh during the day. Sue me."

"'Go to the store and buy stuff for guacamole. Proceed to make guacamole. Feed me said guacamole'."

"I get hungry!"

She hesitated, "…You- You want me to fire all these people listed?

He suddenly sat upright and paused for a thought, "Ignore that. I'll do that myself; they deserve to it from their boss."

She was taken aback, "Wow, Jack. That's surprisingly-"

"I love doing it! The way people beg for their jobs, 'Please, I have a wife and three kids and a dog named Scruffy who will be euthanized if I get fired!' Ha, ha! Priceless…" Yep, there it was. She should have known better.

"As much as I like looking at you, cupcake, you better get started. Don't want to fall behind; the workload can pile up pretty quickly," He said, his words so slimy she could practically feel them leave residue across her skin. A low, guttural noise shook her throat as Jack gave a quick flick of his wrist to shoo her away, and like a lamb getting sent to the slaughter, she obeyed.

Her feet carried her into the elevator as she reread the list over and over again. As she pressed the lobby button she glanced up to see Jack's eyes still hadn't left her. She wasn't safe. Not yet.

After what seemed like a millennia, the doors closed cutting off Jack's stare and Elizabeth's back met the wall of the elevator. Her knees were weak as they struggled to support her shaken frame. She muttered a frustrated, "God."

 _No! What are you doing? Stand up, Elizabeth! Just breathe, Elizabeth,_ She thought, her back sliding back up the elevator. Once she readjusted her sweater and leggings, her chin tilted up to the fluorescent light; its harsh rays burning through her closed eyelids, _Okay, everything's alright. We're going to do whatever he says even if it's awful. Especially if it's awful! And you know why? Because you're going to prove yourself because goddammit, you're stubborn enough. If he gets to you, he wins. If you give up, he wins. Don't let him win, you competitive son-of-a-bitch. Now, let's do this._

 **12: 15 p.m. Handsome Jack's Office**

A loud crack alerted Jack to Elizabeth's presence and he turned from his work to take her in. She had her hands planted firmly on her back, stretching it backwards to pop out a few more satisfying cracks. She looked like absolute hell and Jack couldn't have been happier. He gave her exhausted form a quick once over and suddenly felt some type of giddy. Being worked to the bone really suited her.

"So how did it go?" He mused as he dipped a chip into the guacamole bowl, waiting for her response.

"Got your Ferrari waxed, scheduled your massage, egged at least three people, went to that sketchy neighborhood to deliver that sketchy package-" She ran a hand through her hair as she attempted to tame it and pushed up her sleeves, "but I'm done- _and_ by noon. I did it."

"Eh, eh eh…" He put a finger up as he checked his watch, "According to my watch it's a quarter past twelve. I'm afraid I'm going to have to deduct that from your pay." He sucked air through his teeth and shrugged nonchalantly, "Tough luck, babe."

Red blinded her as her teeth smashed together like a car through a compactor, "You have got to be kidding! I went through hell and back and you have the nerve to tell me that bull-" She stopped herself as soon as she noticed the satisfied expression on Jack's face. Her features softened, "That's fair. I didn't get done on time. I'll try harder next time."

He frowned, his face elongating. A finger found its way to the side of Jack's face and he began tapping, revealing frustration. The one thing Elizabeth appreciated about Jack was how easy his emotions were to read; they were practically on his sleeve. When he was feeling something- anything, you knew it; the whole world knew it.

"Good. See that you do, pumpkin. I expect the best from everyone in this company, and I mean _everyone_. Slackers aren't tolerated around here. They'll reap the benefits of everyone else's hard work and take what isn't theirs until they've cleaned house; bastards who leave everyone else without a pot to piss in," He said standing up to look out the window; the sunlight engulfing his form. He clutched his hands behind his back as he spit out, "They're no better than bandits."

She cocked her head at him, "That's a surprising spiel- especially coming from you."

"You don't think I want what's best for Pandora? I want this place to thrive. I want my people to live their life without having to worry about some bandit murdering their kid and dumping the body in a dumpster," He said, slightly turning to her; the image of the man with the serrated knife entering her thoughts. She rubbed her arm tentatively.

"I am the hero this wasteland needs. Sure my methods may be unconventional, but do you really think just any asshole could control this place as well as I do? I pay for people to live here for Christ's sake. For Opportunity to live up to its name, sacrifices have to be made whether or not people agree with it," Jack said, "And if that means I have to wipe out every single bandit thug out there, so be it. They've dug their grave and I'll happily direct them into it."

"You think you're a hero?" She asked.

He stepped up to her, pressing his thumb against his chest, "I know I am."

She mulled this over. Handsome Jack was a piece of shit; anyone with eyes could see that. So, then why did she want to believe him? The reflection tore her conscience in two as part of her believed that in his twisted mind, Jack legitimately thought he was doing what was best for Pandora, and the other saw nothing more than a tyrannical monster. But Pandora was a brutal wasteland, and she had to agree with Jack when he said not just anyone could run it. Maybe it took someone as awful as Handsome Jack to control such a beast.

He had done more than his fair share of harm, but Rhys was right; Jack _had_ brought the crime rate down and he _did_ pay his citizens to stay in Opportunity. The economy was awful but she'd be lying if she said it was ever good, and bandits were a huge problem even before Jack ever took office. But he was absolutely delusional if he considered himself a "hero"; to deny people their basic freedoms, now that was a crime unto itself. While Jack had his back turned, Elizabeth lifted her sweater sleeve to examine her scars.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Jack- and I do hate to admit it- I honestly don't think anyone else has the nerve you do, and you definitely need a lot of nerve to run a place like this."

"Balls, kid. I've got the balls."

She rolled her eyes. At this rate, cataracts were inevitable, "...What I'm saying is that if you keep your ego in check- if that's even possible- you could be the change this dump needs. Maybe I'm just an idiot who likes pretty words, but the way you talk about bandits makes me want to trust you; makes me want to believe in you," She said. Her words made him turn slightly; his mouth firm and his arms crossed, but his eyes were considerate. It was the first time she had ever seen him so authentic. He didn't have his guard up; he was truly interested in her words. She used this to her advantage.

"Jack, I'm sure that if you promoted keeping your citizens safe, people wouldn't be so prone to be afraid of you. And yes, that means actually giving a shit about people." She deliberately left out the subject of murder. She'd start with baby steps. "Instead of using fear to control Pandora, why don't you use your charm? Lord knows you've got enough of it." He scowled as he turned back around to the window making her stomach drop. She had lost him.

"Fear runs the world, sweetheart. As long as I have fear, I have the people's love," He said plainly, and then his eyebrows rose in realization, "You think I'm charming?" She felt her face grow as a hot as asphalt on a summer day.

His smirk spread as he said, "You're a funny girl. You may be a goody two-shoes know-it-all, but you don't take my shit and I can appreciate that. It may make me want to beat the hell out of you sometimes, but then you go and say something cute like that. I think I'm going to like having you around." She shuffled her feet, unsure of what to say.

Before she could utter a word, she heard the elevator door ding to life which was promptly followed by a rough yet sultry feminine voice, "Where is my handsome man; doing all kinds of hard work, killing assholes and taking names and shit?"

Elizabeth turned to find a tall, dark woman clad in knee high boots and a slim jacket. Her hair which shielded one of her eyes was a dark brown and it was accessorized by a magenta cowboy hat. Her luscious, full lips were tinted a dark purple and her sharp amber eyes resembled that of a tiger's. She was beautiful and intimidating as hell.

"Nisha, baby, long time, no see. You drove all the way out here to see me, hot stuff?" Jack made his way down the stairs, arms spread wide as he made his way toward the woman. Elizabeth was afraid for the woman's safety until she saw the .44 caliber attached at her hip. The woman tipped her hat at Jack and then jumped into his arms, her legs coiling around his waist like an anaconda. As they proceeded to suck face, Elizabeth tried to focus on something else around the room but failed. They looked like two dogs fighting over a piece of meat as they nipped at each other's lips. She couldn't tell if it was kissing or assault.

After an uncomfortably long amount of time, they finally parted to breathe. Nisha said catching her breath, "Took out another gang in Lynchwood today. They gave up without a fight, so I hung up each one of their testies from the traffic lights. Now they really don't have any balls. Thought I'd come see how my guy is doing. Do anything fun without me?"

"You know I never do. And awesome, a good bandit is a dead bandit. God, you're so hot when you talk like that."

"Oh, you like that? Well, I'm the baddest sheriff in town and I don't appreciate your disrespect. I'm going to ride you all the way to the county jail!"

"Please, Officer. I ain't done nothing wrong. I was just admiring-"

"That's Miss Officer to you! Don't make me cuff you, scum!"

"God, please do!"

Elizabeth stared on in horror as they practically dry humped each other. Jack's shoulders seemed to tense once he remembered Elizabeth's presence and briskly turned around towards her and Nisha followed suit, her eyes aflame in an instant. Elizabeth expected to see rage, but the only thing she saw in them was a certain type of mischief. For a split second Elizabeth glanced down but once she caught sight of Nisha's midriff she was entranced; the lady was toned AF.

"Oh, almost forgot you were here, cupcake. Lizzy, this is my girlfriend, Nisha. Nish this is my new employee, Liz," Jack said, taking a step back as Nisha approached looking like a cat ready to pounce. Yeah, it would make sense Jack would be dating someone with the exact same mentality as him; effing crazy.

"Wow, Jack. You actually found someone who can stand being around you? I'm impressed," Elizabeth said.

Before he could react, Nisha laughed and pressed her lips to Jack's cheek bone, "You're damn right, baby. Love this man."

She then extended a hand and winked, "So, this is the girl. What's up? Name's Nisha. I'm the Sheriff of Lynchwood; basically a badass with a lot of bullets and even more pent up rage. I hate bandits and people who don't blink enough, they creep me the eff out."

As soon as the name Lynchwood entered her ears, Elizabeth instantly knew this woman. She had seen her face on television countless times before; always in trouble with the law from either corruption or police brutality, but with each new case she always seemed to come out clean. She had always thought it was luck, but Jack's power was all the luck Nisha needed. They were definitely a match made in Heaven- or Hell.

"Nice to meet you, Sheriff. I'm Elizabeth Berry; just a girl under a lot of stress at the moment. I don't have much but I have a goldfish. I really hate green beans and yeah, you're right; people who don't blink _are_ creepy," She said, remembering to blink a few times. She was suddenly at a loss for words as the woman stared down at her, "You're much taller in person."

"Ha, what a stupid thing to say," Nisha laughed, her piercing eyes scrutinizing Elizabeth and her chilly gaze sending a cold shiver down the girl's spine. It made her want to slink off to the nearest hole and die. "You say stupid shit a lot?" Nisha asked. You would think by this point she would have learned to keep her mouth shut, but Elizabeth wasn't a fast learner.

"Yeah, but only when I'm dealing with assholes," Elizabeth froze as she saw her life flash before her eyes. Then with abrupt understanding, Elizabeth was suddenly hyper-aware of the fact that she was in a room with the two most volatile people in Pandora. Nisha and Jack stood there dumbfounded as if calculating their next move. Elizabeth then gave a big laugh in spite of her shaking knees, "My dad actually used to tell me I have brown eyes because I'm so full of shit!"

Her heart rate went back to normal as Nisha began to laugh again; the mood lifting, "You're such a weird ass! Jack didn't tell me you were such a riot! He just said I'd want to wring your neck after the first five minutes, but you're alright."

"…Thank you?"

"You'll be at the Hyperion anniversary party tomorrow, right? I definitely want to laugh at you some more."

"I didn't know there was one," She admitted, "But no, I'm having a movie night with a friend."

Jack clicked his tongue and sighed, "Yeah, about that, kiddo, you're working the party. Be there by 6:30 to get dressed and to set up dinner plates." Jack took his place in front of Nisha as he picked at his teeth, "Good guacamole, by the way. You should bring some tomorrow."

"What- you can't do that! It wasn't on the schedule, I planned everything out perfectly. Tomorrow night is my one free night without any classes or work. Please, Jack," Elizabeth whined. Nisha let out an excited titter, "I like it when she begs."

"Life's just that way I'm afraid. You can complain all you want because honestly, I'd love to hear it but it won't change a thing. I've already made up my mind," Jack said, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"What would I even do? Shine people's shoes for fifty cents?"

"Don't tempt me, because that's not a bad idea. But no, you'll just stand there passing out refreshments and looking pretty, but for the love of God, don't open your big mouth, got it? I don't want the guests getting sick all over the dance floor. So, go get some rest my little worker bee cause tomorrow you'll be serving the higher ups and I don't want some slack-jawed monkey making a mockery of my company, is that clear?" He said towering over her.

"Crystal."

"Now, where were we?" Jack said, turning back to Nisha to blatantly grab a handful of ass, his fingers crinkling her denim. Elizabeth cringed. Couldn't he just wait 'til she was out of the room? As Jack kissed the crook of her neck, Nisha put a hand up. "…Wait- I kind of want her to watch," Nisha said eyeing Elizabeth's growing red form.

Jack read Elizabeth's distress in an instant. He began to smirk until he noticed the disheartening sag to the girl's shoulders, brushed by strands of blonde hair which swayed over her exhausted eyes. Suddenly her words plagued his mind, _That means actually giving a shit about people._

He ate up every last bit of her helplessness but felt his stomach turn. Even though he liked sweets, they had a tendency to make him sick. He gave a few tuts, "You're a kinky girl, Nish, but I can't work my employees too hard- Maybe next time."

As Nisha groaned, Jack watched relief flood over the girl. She then made her way to the elevator, unaware of the heterochromatic eyes following her. He loved watching her; her facial expressions, her anger, her bashfulness- he ate that shit up. He was pleasantly surprised she was turning out to be more interesting than he preconceived. Even though he wanted to find out what made her tick, he couldn't help but wonder what would make her smile? She hadn't smiled for him yet, but why should he expect her to?

 _The way you talk about bandits makes me want to trust you; makes me want to believe in you…_

Jack went back to kissing Nisha's jawline as he splayed her across the desk prompting a moan to bubble from her throat, her hands going behind her head as she closed her eyes, ready for him. He then began to wonder how _she_ would moan. Would it be light and soft, loud and rough? With a shake of his head, graying locks blurring his vision, he shook her from his mind, "Say my name."

"You're _the_ Handsome Jack."

 **Dorm 7:35 p.m.**

Elizabeth was beat. Each time she tried to sit up from the bed her muscles screamed at her. She huffed in annoyance and muttered, "I need to start working out."

The room then lit up in a bright white as her phone buzzed awake. She managed to roll to her side to see if Jess had sent her updates on the situation with the blue haired chick in her science class, but when she saw she had a new friend request from a certain 'Rhys' she sat upright. She recognized the brown haired dork immediately and of course, she couldn't forget that cute smile. He looked extremely happy as he was clinking glasses with a few other people. She smiled as she pressed accept.

Almost immediately after she laid back down, her phone buzzed again. With a groan, she rolled over to see a message and perked once again.

 _ **Rhys the Company Man**_

 _Hey, it's Rhys. You would not believe how many_

 _Elizabeth's live in Opportunity and have_

 _an Echobook account lol_

 _ **Sent 7:35 p.m.**_

 _I hope that's not weird. You were just really cool_

 _and I just wanted to talk to you_

 _ **Sent 7:35 p.m.**_

 _Okay yeah seeing it typed out is a little weird_

 _ **Sent 7:36 p.m.**_

 _Well if you haven't already blocked me_

 _that would be a miracle lol_

 _Anyway how was your first day?_

 _ **Sent 7:36 p.m.**_

She smiled to herself as she read the messages. She could practically see him frantically stressing over the phone. She knew she shouldn't make him wait long so she responded.

 _It was perfect Jack was sooo nice~_

 _he actually gave me a raise_

 _AND paid my college tuition_

 _ **Delivered 7:37 p.m.**_

 _Nah im just kidding he was awful_

 _but its over so yaaay_

 _u goin to the hyperion party tomorrow?_

 _ **Delivered 7:37 p.m.**_

 _ **Rhys the Company Man**_

 _Yep_

 _lot's to clean up_

 _so little time…_

 _Will I see you there?_

 _ **Sent 7:38 p.m.**_

 _Unfortunately_

 _but we should ride together!_

 _text me at (_ _415) 479-3634_

 _ **Delivered: 7:39 p.m.**_

Rhys gave a punch of his arm in the air as he cheered to the high heavens. Vaughn pounded both fists on the couch and stomped his feet on the ground, his glasses falling from his face, "You did it, bro! Holy crap!" Rhys began to sing as Vaughn joined in halfway, "I am the best around! Nothing's gonna ever keep me down!"

 _ **Rhys the Company Man**_

 _Cool that would be great_

 _ **Sent 7:41 p.m.**_


	5. A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

**A Little Party Never Killed Nobody**

"Nope…wrong…dumb…were you even _trying_?" Elizabeth glanced up from the work she was grading to watch Mordecai verbally assault the paper he held within his calloused hands. As he flipped through them, a look of frustration spread over his wrinkled face. Defeated, he squeezed the bridge of his nose with a disappointed shake of his head, "These kids don't treat this seriously, Berry. They don't question anything; everything's at face value with them."

"What are your students working on right now?" She asked.

"They had to write an essay analyzing a philosophical question of their choosing and only half of them even turned in the damn paper. And those who did just don't get it. They aren't questioning what they know, they aren't trying, they aren't-" Mordecai gave a dejected sigh – "interested."

"Damn freshman," Elizabeth smiled.

"You were always so interested in what I taught. You weren't afraid to experiment with existential shit and your papers were fun to grade. I've never liked suck-ups but you turned out alright, Berry," Mordecai said propping his feet up on the table and with a flick of his skinny wrist he whipped his black tie off.

"Tell that to my math teacher," She said pulling out the front of her sweater to air out her sweltering body, "I know you like it hot but damn, it's boiling in here." Mordecai laughed as he turned up the electric fan; the worn blades producing a soft buzz as it failed to cool the blazing room.

"Gotta keep it toasty for my girl," Mordecai said turning the fan toward Elizabeth, "Bloodwing loves the heat and I guess I'm just used to it. To make up for the changing weather, I crank the heat for her. Isn't that right, Bloodwing?" To her right sat a great brown hawk who gave a content squawk as it groomed its mangy feathers a-top a wooden stand. Bloodwing was a severely ugly thing but Elizabeth had a soft spot for the bird. She leaned over to give her head a well-deserved scratch and Bloodwing's feathers ruffled in response; her bloodshot eyes closing to revel in the sensation.

"Haven't seen you in a while, Berry, where you been? Been busy?" Mordecai asked flipping a cigarette into his mouth. As he lit it, Elizabeth tapped her fingers against her knees nervously. With a rub of her palms, she said, "Yeah, you could say that. A lot of classes, a lot of work…"

She tried to hide the tremor in her voice but as soon as he gave her a look, she knew she was caught. Mordecai was the sharpest man she'd ever met. If even a single thing out of place, Mordecai knew about it. It was as if his eyes were drawn to the smallest of details; he was definitely a stickler for them.

Sometimes to mess with him, Elizabeth would rearrange things around the room to see if he would notice. She started out big, a new poster or chair, then tried for missing pencils and a reorganization of just two or three books at the top of his dusty, old shelf- which she knew he barely touched. He always immediately caught the changes as if they were an itch at the back of his neck.

Before he could speak, she reassured, "There's just been a lot on my mind lately, school and all. I guess senior year is just hitting me harder than I expected." _In more ways than one_ , she thought grimly. He ran his hand over the graying scruff that was his beard. Although he seemed to let the answer slide, she wasn't completely convinced he had bought it.

"I know how that can be. I wasn't a great kid in school. I hardly went to class, barely did any work, got drunk or high before every test but always managed to ace them. I felt like I was cheating the system, but it only got worse after my parents died," Mordecai said letting out a puff of smoke into the open room. He looked at the poorly concealed disgust on her face, muttered a quick "sorry", and opened the window. The cool wind that blew in cascaded over Elizabeth's skin and she welcomed it gratefully as it froze the sweat along her back.

Mordecai's skinny body relaxed as he took in another inhale of smoke and exhaled it into the afternoon. As he took his glasses off to rub his tired eyes, he put his arm out straight to the side. Bloodwing recognized the motion and jumped from the stand and on to Mordecai's forearm; her talons curving over his scraggy arm like a band. He gave her chest a scratch and she cawed happily.

"I got involved in the wrong crowd; a bunch of thugs who hurt people. I hurt people. I was _good_ at it, so I started getting paid for it. I want to say I fought to live but I was just fooling myself. I lived to fight. I had no one to talk to and no one I wanted to talk to. I had Bloodwing and that was enough," He said, grabbing a piece of dried jerky from his desk drawer to give to the bird, "But then I met a guy who actually wanted to help an asshole like me. He got me out of that situation and I wouldn't be the person I am today without the bastard. Even if I am a roaring drunk of a professor with a fuck-all attitude, I wouldn't trade it for nothing. He was and still is my best friend."

Elizabeth clung on to every word Mordecai spoke; obviously lost within his words. She loved to listen to him. He was a man with a lot to tell.

"I'm rambling but do you get what I'm trying to say?" He asked and she was silent.

"What I'm trying to say is that you got a lot of people who care about you, kid. Don't bottle things up; it'll just eat you alive," He said placing a hand on her shoulder, "I would know, I did my fair share." The sudden contact of his warm hand threatened to release a floodgate of emotions, but she kept it trapped within her throat, her face expressionless. She wanted to plead for help but what could he possibly do for her?

She worked up the strength to smile at him, but he didn't smile back. He ran a hand through his messy dreads and went back to his desk, passing her. Even though the smell of weed and bourbon was strong, it was almost a comfort to her. Bloodwing tittered in the background as she chewed on her piece of jerky.

Mordecai sat down at his desk as he placed a hand on his head and looked back at her with a sullen expression, "You'd tell me if something was bothering you, right, kid?" She could only nod. He was without a doubt the sharpest man she knew.

 **Jess' Apartment**

"I can't believe you're going out and I can't even dress you up! What kind of BS is that?" Jess whined as she looked through her closet, "Can you at least model some new clothes for me? I want to see how they look on someone else to make sure they look alright." Elizabeth laughed as her friend pulled out a light pink sundress.

"You know I'd love to, but I can't stay long; Rhys will be picking me up in a little bit. And trust me, Jess, you could make couture out of a trash bag- you don't need me to remind you that you're super hot… Although I gladly will- you're _super_ hot." Elizabeth winked and Jess blew a raspberry as she crossed her arms; a smile lifting the side of her purple-stained lips. She bit it trying to keep her frown.

Elizabeth said, "Besides, I already have my uniform for tonight. Also, I'm pretty sure it's not considered _going out_ if it's for work."

"Please tell me you'll at least look cute?" Jess asked and wiggled her eyebrows, "For Rhys!" Elizabeth made a teeter totter with her hands and pulled out her uniform. Jess groaned, trying to avert her eyes from the monstrosity. "What? You don't think it's cute?" Elizabeth laughed, slapping her hand on her lap. The uniform was a bright, yellow suit-jacket with black trim along the cuffs and vest and it was accessorized with a long, black, lace neckerchief.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but yellow isn't your color," Jess said putting a finger to her cheek. Elizabeth sighed as she scanned over the uniform, trying to find any remaining pieces of white fur stuck to the itchy material- courtesy of Jess' cat. The little fur ball thought it'd be a good idea to make her clothes his personal nap area while the girl had her back turned.

"Yeah no kidding, I'm pale enough as it is. I can only imagine the guest's faces when a giant, well-dressed banana approaches them with appetizers. Hopefully I'll be too busy serving to care about how I look," She said picking off a strand.

"I guess…" Jess said. The dejection in her voice made Elizabeth's head rise. She asked, "…What's wrong?"

"Ugh, I don't know. It's just really shitty that I've only seen you like twice this week. I miss our nights together. I didn't think it was possible to see you less than before, but… surprise!" Jess said letting down her black ringlets from her hairband as she sat on the bed. She put a dark, freckled hand on top of Elizabeth's and said, "You mean so much to me, Liz, I don't want to lose you."

Elizabeth's heart began to ache as she ogled over Jess' sweet brown eyes. It hurt too much to look, so her eyes travelled down to their linked hands. This wasn't just about hanging out was it? This was something else entirely. Elizabeth could feel herself start to choke up and quickly caught a few tears with her sweater sleeve. The salty liquid vanished into the fabric, leaving a dark, wet spot where they had soaked in. Elizabeth's puffy eyes scrutinized herself as she stared hard into Jess' mirror _._

She placed her clammy hand atop Jess' and cleared her throat. For the first time she was hesitant of what to say to her best friend. It was ridiculous. She shouldn't be feeling this way. She could tell Jess anything. She was her confidante- her sister. Jess made her feel so sure of herself- so safe- she always had. So, why was now any different?

"I swear to you that once this is all figured out, I will do my best to spend more time with you. Everything is just very… _hard_ right now and I have no-" Elizabeth's voice caught in her throat, "No idea how to handle any of this, but I won't ever leave you. I promise. We're best friends forever, Jessie. I can't just bail on my partner in crime. Who else would I go on road trips with to do things I would never be comfortable enough doing by myself? You're my second-half whether you like it or not, chickadee."

Jess gave a small smile as she hugged her pillow to her chest, "Remember that time when we went swimming in that pond outside of Overlook- the one with the twenty foot ledge? I dared you to jump with me and it took you like an hour to even get you on the platform."

"Don't forget the few minutes of crying," Elizabeth added. Jess laughed, "Yeah! And you only jumped because I promised I'd buy you a chocolate cone!" "Can't say a cone made up for the trauma, but hey, it was an experience," Elizabeth giggled.

"I swear, you can be a real chicken sometimes, but you still try the craziest shit- just for me. You're always there when I'm acting dumb, and I want you to know I really appreciate that- like _really_. You're my sister, Liz…." She paused as she looked over Elizabeth's pale face and then down at her own dark skin, "A fraternal sister."

"You stole all the cool genes in the womb. That's why the only dance move I know is the robot," Elizabeth sighed making her friend laugh. After their laughter had ceased, a restless silence formed between the two girls until Elizabeth finally asked, "I have a bit of time if you want to do my hair. I'd love to show off your signature braid at the party tonight."

Jess was quiet for a moment. Then, she halfheartedly nodded, "Okay."

 **Helios 7:30 p.m.**

The party was extravagant to say the least; much more grandeur than Elizabeth had ever witnessed. It was held in Helios' ballroom which was decorated in white drapes with an exquisite gold to match. The high ceiling was covered with a fantastic mural of the galaxy; stars and planets painted across the entirety of the structure. She had a hard time believing she was a part of such splendor, albeit having to work it.

Throngs upon throngs of people quietly chatted amongst themselves across the ballroom floor as they patiently waited; eager for the man of the hour to arrive. Handsome Jack was late as per usual, but the buzz of his eventual arrival pumped life to the room.

Elizabeth placed herself close to the refreshment table, standing as stiff as a board as countless people passed her rigid form. Each guest was dressed to the nines in their tuxes and gowns; their mere existence radiating brilliancy, formality, and of course, douchery. They refused to acknowledge Elizabeth but if they did, she was often shot with a look of disgust. She ignored the harsh stares as she held a bottle of Dom Perignon within her shaky hands. She had to admit, the growing number of bodies was making her anxiety escalate, but she held her own as she practically hugged the wall, hoping to God she was blending in.

But she knew that was damn near impossible when she had a giant mud stain on the front of her suit jacket laid out for all to see. She scratched at the hardened dirt but the damage was done. Her anger reignited as the scene scratched its way into her head. Elizabeth and Rhys had parked and were walking the rest of the way to the party when suddenly she was pushed off the sidewalk by this brickhouse of a woman and straight into a muddy puddle. She could still hear her smug tone, too.

"The pavement is not for commoners, darling; not when more worthy people require it. You should learn to step down for your superiors. It's only polite, my dear." She could've exploded right there, but she refrained when she saw the woman disappear into Helios' doors. She would maintain herself for the night. She'd get along with these assholes and maybe- just maybe if she played by the rules, Jack would let her off for good behavior. She could only hope.

Rhys had tried to help her with the stain before having to leave, but not without apologizing profusely. It was weird, she almost felt bare without him. The ride over had been amazingly comfortable and along the way they discovered their mutual love for baking videos, so cake took up most of the conversation. The same could not be said for extraction videos. Pimples definitely didn't thrill Rhys the same way they did Elizabeth. In fact, the mere thought had him dry heaving. Still, Rhys was a friend in a dark place and she was grateful for that.

She began pouring a glass of champagne for a guest when someone cheered, "He's here!" The room, like a stampede, flooded toward the doors to observe their savior's arrival. Flashes of a hundred of cameras blinded Elizabeth as people pushed past her in a rush to get a good spot; a stray arm catching her elbow on its way past, making the champagne bottle in her grasp start to slip. She blew a sigh of relief as she steadied the bottle within her hands and only joined the rest of the mob when all was finally settled. And suddenly, there he was standing in all his glory. The hero of Pandora: Handsome Jack.

He looked like a dime; head to toe in absolutely gorgeous attire. He wore a three-piece charcoal gray tux, highlighted by a yellow tie; the whole ensemble fit him like a dream. His usually wily hair was slick and maintained, and his black shoes were shining as bright as the stars. But why the hell was he wearing sunglasses at night? And he was inside, for God's sake. As good as he may have looked, the douche overpowered the allure.

On his arm was Nisha sporting a dazzling magenta gown with a thigh slit cut so high it could give the Alps a run for their money. She sparkled underneath the brilliancy of the hanging chandeliers; the hundreds of sequins along her boobs- which looked bomb by the way- painting the room in a colorful hue. Her dark hair was pulled back revealing both of her razor-sharp eyes and her smile publicized her beaming confidence- or arrogance. Elizabeth couldn't tell which.

The couple glided along the waxy flooring as they continued to ignore the mounds of people confessing their undying love to them. Over the roar of the crowd, Elizabeth could hear Jack yell at one of the workers, "Where's the effing mic?" And they instantly scurried off to fetch it. When he was given the microphone, Jack smacked it a few times before taking his place in the middle of absolutely everyone; his eyes ablaze with that unyielding vanity he so often exposed. As she laid the champagne bottle down on the nearest table, Elizabeth thought, _He's got every single eye in the room on him; bet he's through the roof. What an attention whore._

"Good evening, you beautiful bastards! How're all of you doing?" Jack announced garnering an immediate applause; a couple of people giving hearty whoop of enthusiasm- some crying. Elizabeth spotted Rhys at the edge of the group; mop in hand and gazing completely star-struck up at Jack. She snickered as he turned to her to excitedly point at his idol. He then waved for her to come over and she obliged, scooting silently closer to him.

"Hyperion has been my home for many years, and as soon as I saw my home start to shit the bed, I did what any insanely talented- not to mention gorgeous- man would do. I took matters into my own hands and you know what else I did? I made it great again. We are currently leading in weapon sales and we continue to grow throughout the country. Let's be real, our competitors don't stand a freakin' chance against us! Just take a look at Atlas. That wannabe, piss-slit of a corporation thought they could mess with us and look where that got 'em!" There were a few cheers from the crowd as people started to lose their shit.

"Anyway, I plan to run this place for another fifty years, even if those bandit idiots have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers- which I won't have to worry about with our new, top-of-line of combat rifle, the Destroyer. And all of this was made possible because of you glorious people- mostly me, but you guys too… a little," He said pinching his fingers together.

"So, enjoy the refreshments, mingle a little, get laid tonight, and when you go to bed remember to be grateful for the life I've given you. Believe me when I say Hyperion will always be there to protect you and your family, so don't be a dick and be there for Hyperion- yada, yada, yada- let's get drunk!" He raised his fist in the air. "Screw Atlas!"

"Screw Atlas!" The crowd cried.

With that, Jack stepped out of the spotlight to go socialize with his associates. One of which Elizabeth recognized as the woman who pushed her off the sidewalk. Her voluminous black hair extenuated her ebony cheekbones as if she had plums implanted into her face. The flawless texture of her skin was gently caressed by the white tuffs of fur along her collar, and her blue pantsuit was perfectly tailored to fit her full figure. Although she was still bitter about the encounter, Elizabeth couldn't help but admire the woman's style.

As Jack approached her, the smile she presented seemed lackluster; a sort of necessary formality instead of a friendly welcome. As they exchanged an awkward handshake, Jack placed a kiss on the back of her well-polished hand; a look of disdain appearing across her face immediately. Her tightness loosened as he withdrew and Elizabeth could see the woman's voluptuous lips utter a short comment making Jack cackle in response.

Elizabeth elbowed Rhys, "Hey, who's that lady Jack's talking to?"

"That? That's Aurelia Hammerlock, heiress of the Hammerlock family. She stops by every once in a while to represent her family since they're one of Hyperion's biggest sponsors. She's a total bitch," Rhys laughed, "Her and Jack go _way_ back, even before he became CEO. Even though he has a huge support system from the Hammerlock family, Aurelia _hates_ Jack. No one really knows why."

"I probably know why."

"I'm sure you do," Rhys said patting Elizabeth's shoulder. He continued, "Rumor has it they had a falling out a long time ago. In any case, if she wants the partnership to work out, Aurelia has to put on her nice face- which has got to be at least a day's process for her- and hold back from saying something that could potentially destroy everything her family has culminated."

"How do you know all this?"

"…It was in Jack's auto-biography."

"Oh my God," Elizabeth laughed as she slapped her forehead, "You seriously read his auto-biography?"

"It was really interesting!" Rhys defended.

She patted his shoulder, "I'm sure it was, you fanboy."

Rhys rubbed the back of his neck as his cheeks flushed, "Am not…" His head then snapped up as he noticed a friendly face approaching, dressed fresh to death in sharp black suit, albeit a little big for the man's short frame, and a green bowtie. Rhys gave the young man a firm pat on the back as he joined Rhys' side.

"Buddy, you are looking good! No. Better than good- you look fly, bro," Rhys said exchanging knuckles with the man, "I never see you out and about looking so professional." The man laughed nervously and hunched slightly making him seem even shorter than his already small stature.

"Yes you have, I wore it to senior prom, remember? It was my dad's. He let me have it after graduation; said a suit would give me more confidence, but I just feel like a member of the lollipop guild in this thing. If we ever go camping, I got the tent covered. I seriously could fit a family of five in here." He pulled at the sides of his suit. "But thanks, bro. I wish I could say the same for you. You look like some creepy janitor from a murder mystery cartoon."

"That's very… descriptive, thanks," Rhys said.

Vaughn then looked beyond Rhys to peek at Elizabeth, his glasses sliding down his nose a bit as his hazel eyes expanded. With an impish look, he looked back to Rhys to give a wiggle of his eyebrows. "Rhys, you're not going to introduce me?" Vaughn said with a sly grin.

"O-Oh, yeah! Elizabeth, this is-"

"Hi, I'm Vaughn; Rhys' best friend. I'm Hyperion's main money man-"

"He's an accountant," Rhys interjected earning a frown from the short man.

"…better known as an accountant, I guess," Vaughn reluctantly confirmed, "Rhys literally cannot stop talking about you. Like yesterday he told me how excited he was to be riding with you to the party, but he was _so_ afraid he was going to do something stupid like throw up in the car. He also said how much you scare him, but if it's any consolation, you don't seem _that_ intimidating. Oh! And then he said-"

"VAUGHN," Rhys interrupted clapping the man on the back, "You're _so funny._ Heh, don't mind this jokester; always cracking jokes, cause that what jokesters do… they crack jokes. Don't know where he comes up with this stuff- comedy gold." Vaughn looked up to his friend, perplexed. "But Rhys, you said-" Vaughn started but shut his mouth when he saw Rhys' horrified expression. "Oh yeah, that was someone else; my _other_ friend… also named Rhys… who also came to the party. It's a weird coincidence, I know." There was a slap as Rhys' hand connected with his face.

"Small world," Elizabeth snorted; a grin forming her lips.

"Anyway, it's awesome to finally meet you," Vaughn said shaking Elizabeth's hand.

Elizabeth laughed, "Nice to meet you too. How long have you guys known each other?"

They looked at one another and began counting fingers. "Well, we became friends in…what- fourth grade? So, that's got to be at least seventeen years. Yeah, almost seventeen years now," Rhys said. "Holy crap, we're old, man. We're practically married, and you haven't gotten me a single anniversary present," Vaughn said.

"I'm sure I've gotten you something. I bought you eggs once, I think."

"Watch out girls, this one's a _real_ lady-killer," Vaughn announced, "Hey, Remember the first time we met? We were at recess when you tried to stand up to those bullies who literally tried to use me as their human punching bag?"

"They ended up beating both our asses…" Rhys said unamused.

"Our first bond, it seems like only yesterday!" Vaughn said proudly.

"They stole all my business cards," Rhys flat-lined, "I worked so hard on them."

"You had business cards when you were a kid?" Elizabeth asked incredulously, pulling them from memory lane. Rhys smiled sheepishly and scratched the side of his face. "Can you tell I've always wanted to run my own company? Look where that got me." He said bitterly, tugging at the mop in his hand.

"Up until high school people always picked on us. We didn't have anyone else to talk to; that is until our friend, Yvette, started hanging out with us freshman year. She intimidated the hell out of anyone who would so much as try and copy our homework, and in return we always bought her lunch. It was awesome; we finally had a friend who was semi-cool. Well, cool enough to get us into the captain of the math team's house parties," Vaughn grinned. "She actually works here too, but I haven't seen her tonight. She should be around here somewhere."

"Oh, there she is; schmoozing with Vasquez. I'm going to barf," Rhys muttered, crossing his arms in disgust.

Elizabeth turned to see a skinny, dark-skinned woman talking to a bulky, bearded man whose hair looked like it could drown a baby seal. The woman, whose angular arms were crossed tightly against her chest, had her entire torso hitched backward in a defensive manner; her attention unwavering. As they continued to talk, Elizabeth noted the underlying shrewdness of their shared glances; their sharp eyes scrutinizing one another.

Elizabeth had seen that look before. There was ambition burning within their seemingly unceremonious exchange, but nothing went unplanned with these people. Their talking was an act of formality, but it wasn't the guts of the conversation- not really. Anything they needed- or wanted- to know was there for the taking; hidden within their eyes. Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder if they knew they both had been betrayed by their own irises.

Watching the scene unfold made Elizabeth uncomfortable. Seeing them search for value in one another as if choosing the perfect cut of meat. It felt unpleasant to say the least.

When they were done talking, they shook hands and parted. Vasquez then turned around, snagging Rhys' attention and started wiping the floor with an invisible mop. As he whistled, he swayed back and forth into the crowd. Rhys' face burned like a red hot nickel ball; his bionic fist tightening around the mop's stick, effectively producing a loud crack. Vaughn and Elizabeth took a step back from his burning fury.

As Yvette approached she paused when she felt the stab of Rhys' glare. She glanced at his face and asked, "Rhys, how'd you manage to get a sun burn in November?"

"It's not a sun burn; it's the face of a man who has been betrayed by their traitor of a friend, because that it was you are- a traitor. Et tu Yvette- Et tu?" Rhys scoffed, shaking his head. Vaughn then stood on his tippy-toes to get a closer look at Rhys' face and said, "Dude, I think you do have a sun burn. I can see the peeling."

"…Okay, it might be a sun burn but the majority of it is anger!" Rhys exclaimed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Yvette asked taking a step back, her head turning to give Elizabeth a once over, reading her immediately, "You must be the new girl Rhys texted me about. What's up? I'm Yvette." As Elizabeth opened her mouth to talk, Rhys pointed an accusatory finger at the woman who looked one hundred percent done with his dramatics.

"Don't change the subject. You looked pretty chummy over there with the number one douche king himself. What were you two talking about exactly? Trying to suck up to the VP?"

"Is that what we're calling him now? The last time I checked it was admiral stick-up-ass." Yvette put her hand on her hip as she readjusted her glasses. "And I wasn't being a suck up. Unlike you, Rhys, I actually try to be nice to people I hate; gets you further in life. For example, Vasquez just told me if I keep playing my cards right, he's going to make _me_ Head of Requisitions. With a promotion like that I could make lunch on me for a change." She pressed her lips. "Probably not, but I _could_."

"Vasquez has no say in whether or not you get promoted- Jack does. And do you really think Jack sees Hugo as anything but a dumbass? I wouldn't be surprised if Jack pulled his name out of a hat when he made him Vice President," Vaughn said, "Cause what does Vasquez _do_ anyway? Jack handles all the work. Vasquez just sits around in his office all day doing God knows what. Vasquez is basically a potted plant with a fancy title. You're lucky, Rhys. At least, you get to _do_ something."

"Yeah, cleaning up the men's restroom is so much better than being in my own office and having people respect me. I'm blessed," Rhys grumbled. Elizabeth listened on quietly as the three friends bickered. It was like a sitcom.

"Vasquez may not have the power to promote me but a good word never hurts. You guys need to take charge if you want to actually break the Hyperion hierarchy," Yvette said; a shine from the chandelier catching her glasses and temporarily concealing her eyes.

"I was already at the top just in case you forgot. It was being a doormat that got me…" Rhys presented himself with a signal of his hands, "here." He then went to clean a spill, his friends following close behind. "If only Jack knew how much better I am than Vasquez. I could seriously help this company. I could offer my ideas, my thoughts- he'd never give me the time of day, though. He's always held up in his office and-" Rhys paused as he lifted his head from the mess. He then whirled around to Elizabeth who gave him a small wave, "Hi."

"You!" Rhys exclaimed, his sudden fervor making her jump. He grabbed her shoulders, smiling as wide a child who had just opened their first first Christmas present.

"I don't know why I didn't think of this sooner! _You_ can talk to him! You can tell Jack all about me. You know, how incredibly hard-working and loyal I am. You're the only person I know who's been in Jack's office- well, the only person who hasn't disappeared on _sick leave_ , so maybe you could ask him to meet with me or like, write my name onto a paper on his desk and he'd be all, "Who the hell is Rhys? His name is taking up space where important stuff usually goes, so he, himself, must also be important. I must find him immediately"!"

"One: Nice Jack impression and two: If I could I would, but do you honestly think he's going to listen to _me_ of all people? He hates me, Rhys. He'd probably fire you just to spite me. I don't want to risk that," Elizabeth said trying to let him down softly.

"Please, Elizabeth. I have worked so hard and I just want the chance to prove myself… and I guess if that means risking it all, I am ready for it," Rhys said with a look of determination that matured him immensely, his usual awkwardness gone. Elizabeth had to admit, Rhys was surprisingly ambitious. At first, she wasn't sure how a person like Rhys could have possibly survived for so long in a cut-throat place like Hyperion, but now she knew. On the outside he may have seemed unsure, but on the inside he was a man who knew what he wanted out of life- and on top of that he was willing to fight for it. She couldn't help but be envious.

She begrudgingly agreed, "Okay, I'll see what I can do. No promises, though."

"That's all I need. Thank you," Rhys said, gratitude lifting his cheeks.

Yvette faced Elizabeth, her pencil skirt tightening as she widened her stance like a bird surveying land. "You just started yesterday, right?" She asked. Elizabeth nodded. "And from what Rhys told me you have no experience in business and yet, you're Jack's right hand," She said subduing her doubt, "How is that?"

"I wouldn't say right hand- not at all. I'd say I'm more of a pet monkey who does all the shit Jack doesn't want to do. For whatever reason, I'm not exactly sure," She spoke openly. "Then that's risky business, Rhys; entrusting someone like her with your job. Not the approach I would have suggested," Yvette commented and Elizabeth felt her face flush.

"You told me to take charge. I'm doing it anyway I can," Rhys countered. He turned to place a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder and gently shook her back and forth. He felt her lean into his touch, "Besides, I believe she can do it- and if not, I guess I'll just have to be content with losing it all because I can't be satisfied with what-could-have-beens."

"And hey, my couch is always open if you become a jobless hobo," Vaughn offered. "You really think I couldn't make it on my own?" Rhys asked somewhat insulted. Vaughn chuckled, "I _know_ you couldn't. You'd last one day out in the streets, maybe two tops. If the gangs don't get you, those wild dogs by the docks would. Either way, you'd probably lose your face to some tripped out psycho- just saying."

"Oh, they'd do a lot more than that. They'd rip out your insides while you're still conscience just to make you watch them flip your newly parted skin inside out, all so they can make their infamous "skin suits". Ever seen one? They're horrific. Then after that, they'd hang you upside down to bleed out while you scream, barely holding on to your life. And as you clutch on desperately to that one final breath of life, one of them rips off your face to make their specialty "face pizza". I'd say that's a bit more accurate," An acquainted voice explained cutting through the conversation.

The group spun around to find Nisha biting into an hors d'oeuvre consisting of spicy jelly on a cracker, her hip angled out to the side as she licked her fingers of the cream cheese spread. When she finally focused her eyes, she idly looked over the daunted group, her amused leer revealing pleasure at the expense of their dread. "S-Sheriff, it's uh- it's great to see-" Yvette started.

"Scram. I want to talk to the newbie alone without you ass-kissers lingering around polluting the air," Nisha commanded in a tone that immediately had Vaughn and Yvette turning on their heels to leave. Rhys gave Elizabeth one last look, narrowly missing a direct shot of Nisha's glare and said, "I'll talk to you later." With that, the girl was left alone with the Sheriff of Lynchwood. A gut-wrenching feeling of insecurity shot through her as Nisha sipped away at her whiskey, her menacing company setting Elizabeth on edge.

"I hate parties," Nisha said breaking the silence. Elizabeth looked up, but Nisha's eyes were fixed on the throngs of people surrounding Jack. She took a sip, "And I hate people."

Elizabeth paralleled Nisha's gaze. She rubbed her hands together as her heartbeat threatened to pump out of her chest. "I hate crowds," Elizabeth said, "They make me nervous." Nisha gazed down at Elizabeth from above her drink glass. "Really? I just think they're all a-holes. They try and fake nice but they're all snakes in disguise; every last one of them," She said and offered Elizabeth a sip.

Elizabeth raised her hand to decline but then took the glass and gulped the liquid fire down her gullet. She felt the burn slide down her throat only to land in the pit of her stomach like a combusting roller-coaster. Like a hot coal, it sat uncomfortably within her gut. As she cringed, Nisha laughed and patted her back. "They shouldn't make you nervous, kiddo. You're probably smarter than all of them combined. These idiots think sucking Jack's ego off will reward them somehow, but they're just fooling themselves. Jack likes it straight up- probably why you're still alive," She said.

Elizabeth wiped her lips as she returned the glass. "You guys definitely make one hell of a power couple," She said, not quite sure if she meant it as a compliment, but Nisha grinned anyway, "I have to ask, though- and I hope I'm not overstepping any boundaries- but what do you see in Jack? What about him- I don't know, swept you off your feet?" The laugh that shot out of Nisha's mouth echoed off the ceiling of the ballroom.

"Please, honey, there was no feet sweeping. It was more of an act of vehicular manslaughter. I swear, when I met that man I felt like I had been hit by a bus in the _best_ way. See, I grew up on the streets of Pandora and was even in my own gang for a while. When Jack contracted me to handle a few odd jobs there was no denying the immediate attraction. He was hot, I was hot, and after our first major contract, he convinced me to quit the gang life and join him- what more could a girl ask for? Every day's been an adventure since we met," Nisha said, allowing herself to smile.

"So, are you like Jack- do you believe you two can save Pandora?" Elizabeth asked curiously.

"Honestly, Pandora can suck a chode," Nisha said bluntly, making Elizabeth chuckle. She downed the rest of her drink, "I don't like Pandora, but I like Jack. I like what he stands for; wiping out those bandit sons-of-bitches is my life. And I may sound like a dumbass, but I'd follow Jack to the ends of the earth. Two heroes making this place a little more bearable one dead bandit at a time." Nisha swirled the ice in her glass around.

Elizabeth listened on eagerly as Nisha spoke. Although she was an insane bully who had the temper of a rabid honey badger, Nisha was halfway decent when her personality wasn't stimulated by Jack's. Elizabeth stood straighter beside the tall woman letting her shoulders align with Nisha's poised posture. She could feel the alcohol burn her cheeks.

"Anyway, I just came over here to make fun of your stain. What happened- did your dog shit on your outfit before you came?" Nisha said backing up; two of her fingers balancing her empty glass against her hip. Elizabeth pulled at the bottom of her suit jacket. "Nah, just forgot to run to the store for toilet paper," She cheesed. The woman shook her head, "Sicko."

"Hey, hey, hey, there are my two favorite ladies. How's it going, Thelma and Louise? Having some good, old-fashioned girl on girl bonding time?" Jack announced to the party of two. "Hey babe, how'd you manage to get away from those leeches?" Nisha asked as Jack wrapped an arm around her waist. They kissed and Elizabeth feared of a repeat of yesterday, but since the alcohol in her system had a mind of its own, she couldn't help but glue her eyes to the spectacle.

"Told 'em I'd personally paint the walls with their own brain matter if they didn't buzz off," He said and looked to Elizabeth, "You enjoying the party, cupcake?" Elizabeth looked around the room and nodded vigorously. "I feel like I'm in a storybook. Everything's glammed out to the max, you really pulled out all the stops for this party," She said trying to cover her stain, once again self-conscious in Jack's presence.

"Drink it in, babe. This is the Hyperion life; never a dull moment," He said, his head undeniably swelling, "By the way, I didn't know you were friends with tweedle dee and tweedle dumbass over there- kinda hilarious, actually." Jack gestured over to Rhys and Vaughn who were busy throwing grapes in each other's mouths. Vaughn lobbed one up to Rhys which ended up nailing him in the eye. "Yeah, they're good guys," Elizabeth said ready to defend them, "That one- Rhys, the tall one, was actually up for a promotion as your Vice President."

"Ha! It's cute how you people actually think that means something." Jack downed the last of his champagne. "I don't even know the name of the poor sucker who's my VP right now. Who the hell is he, Nish?" Jack asked and Nisha shrugged. "You got me. I don't like remembering their stupid names," She grumbled. He snapped his fingers trying to jog his memory. "Vazz- Vacky- Vacuum- ugh, it's on the tip of my tongue."

While he rambled on, Elizabeth remembered Rhys' request. "Oh, I have to ask you something- for a friend," She said, but Jack's cocky smirk made her hesitate. If she were to ask him about Rhys right now in front of his colleagues, he would make a spectacle, she was sure. He would have no qualms with degrading her in front of hundreds of strangers, so she elected to wait. "Uh…When you selected your Vice President- did you just pull a name out of a hat?" His matter-of-fact retort made her gears grind, " _Excuse me_ , I flipped a coin. Do you really think I'd waste my time writing out individual names just to put them in a hat? I don't have that kind of time, kiddo."

Yearning for their undivided attention, a group of people encircled Jack and Nisha instantly, shamelessly swooning over their very existence; the crowd's fancy attire and graceful air rendering Elizabeth a sore thumb. As the horde buzzed around like bees drawn to the first flowers of the season, Elizabeth was forcefully pushed out of the circle. With a dig of her heels, she planted herself firmly to the ground, keeping her stance as the group attempted to elbow her back. For a bunch of people who looked like they hadn't done a hard day's work in their life they were pretty strong.

Annoyed with her insolence, the group began muttering hushed comments about "the help" Jack was associating with. Once these whispers reached Jack, his regard for Elizabeth soured instantly. His exterior hardened as he took a step back, distancing himself from the girl.

"Shouldn't you be working? I'm not paying you to stand around gawking at my guests and flirting with my girlfriend. Get back to work, pumpkin," Jack said, shooing her away with a wave of his hand. His attention then turned back to his fans, "Don't you just love it when they think they're important? God, so cute." The laughter that boomed throughout the ballroom shook Elizabeth, her throat clenching from the overwhelming embarrassment. It tore her apart like a million buck shots through her body. To top it off, Nisha gave a final wave goodbye and said, "I hope you buy some toilet paper soon, you little weirdo."

Giving an indignant huff through her nose, Elizabeth turned to leave; totally ready for the night to end. Resentfully, she reassured herself that she wanted no part of the awful group anyway. They were all deplorable, so why should their opinion matter? Although it was a nice sentiment, it did little to soothe the sting she felt ripping at her self-esteem. Her mother's words came to her as she sifted through the mass of people, _Normal people should only have one face._ _Any more and you're friends with an actor._

Before she could walk off, though, Elizabeth's attention was drawn back to the mob. There was a sudden variance within their ranks that pulled at the girl's peripheral like a kid's eye in a candy store. She suddenly became acutely aware of a tiny, red dot that had made a home for itself on the forehead of Jack. It looked like a red spot of paint on an artist's canvas or a needle through the head of a doll. She couldn't decipher the anomaly, so without another thought she inched a bit closer, forcing her way back into the horde. Yells erupted from her zombie-like pushing, but they were static to her ears. What the hell was on his forehead?

Jack was quite literally marinating in praise when he heard the commotion start, popping his good mood instantly. He was confused- then he was furious. He watched the girl's slow approach, her boldness once again testing his already thin limits. He hated how easily she got under his skin. The worst part was she hardly knew she was doing it. She was just being an idiot half the time and it drove him insane; acting like she knew all the corners of the world. The kid didn't know a goddamn thing about the world. The heat of the bodies surrounding him made his temper rise as he pushed a couple of people at arms-length.

"What are you doing, you idiot? I said get back to work," Jack warned, but she failed to hear his words. She was completely entranced on something else- something above him. He looked up in confusion. When he saw nothing, he glared back down at her. His fists tightened as he asked, "What the hell are you looking at? You're creeping me out!" She proceeded forward despite Jack's rising hostility.

Time seemed to stop as Elizabeth noticed the slight sway of the red dot upon Jack's forehead. It resembled a laser pointer. When the dot lowered itself right in between Jack's tight brows, Elizabeth's heart plunged; realizing in an instant exactly what it was. She gasped making heads turn. She didn't save time for thought as she leapt forward.

Elizabeth's arms wrapped around Jack's waist like a boa constrictor and with all her weight, she took him to the floor, knocking a few people out of the way during their graceless tumble. Her body tensed on top of Jack's as she prepared herself for the shot that would inevitably ring out, but much to her dismay, it never came. She dug her fingers into the fabric of Jack's suit as she propped herself up from him. The dot had disappeared, but Jack's anger had not. Unfortunately, it had intensified.

She gave an awkward laugh as she hurriedly thought of an excuse, "My bad. I thought I saw a bee… good news- no bee!"

Jack's rage came out in the form of a growl as he pushed her off of him, her back being caught by a couple of shins. They both sat facing each other like children on a play mat, his face growing red in a mixture of fury and humiliation. The whole ballroom went deadly silent as they watched the ordeal unfold; their mouths agape as they waited for Jack's next move.

Their electrifying stares crawled up Elizabeth's back sending her neck hairs skyward. Elizabeth hesitantly looked up to Nisha whose eyes were suddenly ablaze with fury; their previous mischief replaced by something utterly terrifying. So, this was the infamous anger of the Sheriff of Lynchwood. _Shit._

"What…the hell… did you just do?" Jack whispered, his bared teeth transforming him into a baited wolf. Everyone waited for her response, but the entire English language evaded her as if it _too_ wanted no part of this. She tried to gulp down what felt like an apple clogging up her esophagus. How was she going to explain this? She knew she saw that damn dot, but how the hell was she going to convince all these people? She was nothing to them. She was an idiot, she was expendable.

With a snake-like quickness, a hand shot out to seize Elizabeth by the collar and roughly pull her from her feet. A squeak popped from her mouth as she dangled helplessly within Nisha's grasp. With a single fist, she was holding Elizabeth's entire- not exactly small- body up in the air. "What the hell do you think you're doing, dumbass? You got a death sentence, because after I'm done you're going to wish you were dead!" Nisha yelled, waving the girl around as easy as holding a ragdoll. From Elizabeth's vantage point, she couldn't help but marvel at the impressive yet terrifying girth of Nisha's biceps as she cowered in fear. "Well?!"

Elizabeth opened her mouth when suddenly a shot pealed throughout the room like a crack of lightning across metal- the shot Elizabeth was waiting for. Her eyes instinctively closed from the abrupt sound that literally felt painful to her ears; the vibration making her head throb. A shrill ringing entered her ears, deafening her from the intensity of the shot- not to mention proximity. When she felt Nisha's grip loosen on her jacket, she opened one eye; the smell of iron strong and the blaze of steel burning her nostrils. She met Nisha's eyes. All she saw was confusion- that is until she saw the blood.

It dripped down Nisha's long neck like honey in a jar. Its origin- a hole located just below her jawline; the wound resembling a red blossom. "I-" Nisha gurgled, mouth spilling red. Then came another shot. This one Elizabeth saw. Straight through her head. Out the side. Blood spilling. She fell from Nisha's grasp as the woman's dull amber eyes rolled back into the abyss of her skull and with a sickening thud, Nisha was on the ground. From the fall, her leg had twisted awkwardly underneath her and a single hand had fallen tenderly against her still-beating chest.

All Elizabeth could do was watch as the red liquid soaked Nisha's unmoving form. She had no words, so she just stared. Warmth trickled down Elizabeth's face and she touched the sensation only to have a sticky redness coat her fingers. There was a scream- it was her own.

Everyone scattered like rats in a cage, screaming as they ran toward the exit. An earsplitting noise like that of crunching bones came from the stampede of frenzied feet over shattered glass. What once was the window was now evidence of the surprise assault. Jack was over Nisha's body in an instant; his fingers entangling themselves within her bloodied hair before her head had a chance to slip back in between her shoulder blades.

Elizabeth held on to her face, failing to process what exactly had happened- what the hell just happened? A woman was killed- no, murdered right in front of- how did- why did? Her mind was a mess as she paced back and forth, attempting to ignore her blood soaked shoes. She kept pacing in spite of the panicked crowd as she tried to desperately pull the scene from her mind.

Another shot pulled her from her panic as she gripped on to Jack's sleeve. She saw the smoke of a bullet-hole rise from the ground like a burning campfire. It was dangerously close to Jack, but he did not budge. She gave his sleeve a hard tug and Jack whipped around from her forceful touch, his face the definition of pissed off. "We have to go! We have to get out of here!" Elizabeth yelled over the blare of the mob. He looked at her with big eyes, glanced back at Nisha, then back again. Elizabeth put her hand out and begged, "Jack!" With a roar, he grabbed her hand and they sprinted toward the door.

"I have a car in the garage we can use! If someone wants me dead they're going to have to come get me," Jack said as they reached the elevator. He slammed his fist on the button for the ground floor and Elizabeth collapsed at back of the elevator; sliding her way down to clutch her knees to her chest. She clung on to her shoulders as if they were her last lifeline. Jack didn't look at her as he stepped back from the door, head remaining level and face staying firm- almost unnervingly so. The shaking of Elizabeth's body was involuntary as images of Nisha flashed across her mind.

"They must have offed my bodyguards before they tried for me and Nish. I was wondering why I hadn't seen them. Thought they were being discreet, but they're probably stuffed in a closet somewhere. I should've known, dammit," Jack said, though, he wasn't talking to her. He cursed as he smashed his knuckles against the elevator door. Jack lowered his head, his hands filling his pockets, "Sorry, Nish…"

He turned to Elizabeth, finally acknowledging her company with a thin smile, "Thanks. It would have been me lying on that floor if it weren't for you. Thought you were just trying for a grope, but you're not completely useless. Glad you could recognize a sniper laser." Elizabeth let out a shaky breath and stuttered, "N-No problem. I've w-watched a lot of m-movies." Jack smirked. How the hell could he be smiling at a time like this?

He knelt beside her and asked with a vein of sympathy in his voice, "First dead body, huh?"

Elizabeth's mouth dropped in disgust as she pulled back from him. She yelled, "How can you be so calm about this? A woman just died- not just any woman- you're girlfriend!" Elizabeth stood up and turned around to face the corner of the elevator, unable to look at his awful face. There was a silence until he answered, "Guess I'm just used to it. When you've seen as much death as I have, eventually you're bound to go numb." She didn't acknowledge his words as she continued to keep her nose to the corner of the elevator.

He watched her keep her back to him like the angry feminazi she was; arms crossed and stubborn as all hell. He rolled his eyes and scoffed, pulling his hands out of his pockets to pull her away from the corner, her struggles making his anger grow. He really didn't need this right now. With a yank, he whipped her around to face him and pinned her against the back of the elevator with a slam. The terror in her eyes made Jack soften slightly. Damn, she was just a kid.

"People die. It happens. The best way to get over it is to not think about it. _Don't_ think about it, cupcake. If we think about it, _we_ die. The dead will just drag us down with them. Do you want to die?" He demanded. She shook her head quickly. He grinned, "Good, glad to hear it. Now come on. We're getting out of here."

Once the elevator door opened, they ran out into the brightly lit garage and Jack located his getaway car… a yellow Lamborghini with a Hyperion emblem gracing the side. Elizabeth made a face as she said, "I think we should try for something less…Handsome Jack. I mean, you just said how much you don't want to die, right? This is kind of asking for death." Jack sighed, "Fine, we'll take the Bentley."

As they jumped in, Jack revved the engine and Elizabeth clicked her seatbelt. She did not say a word as she took an obvious look at his unfastened belt, but she did shrewdly pull her lips to the side. He huffed as he clicked the belt in place then gunned it out of the garage. Elizabeth held on tight to the sides of the car, clutching on for dear life as he zoomed down the pitch black road; her fingernails digging in to the soft leather interior. As they drove, thick flakes of white snow started to fall from the sky creating a disorienting blur of the road, obscuring their sight; the soft headlights of the Bentley their only form of navigation.

"So, what exactly is the plan? Where are we going?" Elizabeth asked. "Hell if I know. Ideally, we find those bastards and take them down. I'll ring their damn necks for what they did to Nish- for what they tried to do to me!" Jack growled, "No one tries to cap Handsome Jack and get away with it."

Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief, "You can't be serious! Whoever's trying to kill you is probably highly-trained- they had a freaking sniper for Christ's sake! Like, who the hell decides one day that they want to be a professional sniper- that is literally mind-blowing that that's an actual occupation! And there's no doubt an assassin on our trail right now coming to kill you- I should know, I've seen the movies!"

Jack cackled loudly as he slapped the steering wheel. "Do you base everything on what you see in movies? Sorry to burst your bubble, kid, but this ain't a movie. And you've got nothing to worry about, babe. I guarantee we have no reason to be scared of these idiots," He said, his tone darkening, "If they're smart, they should be afraid of _me_." Just as Elizabeth looked out the window, she caught a glimpse of the dim, passing lights of the Sugar and Spice. "I don't doubt that," Elizabeth said.

The car was quiet as the two contemplated the night's events, but the one thing that continued to plague Elizabeth's mind was Nisha. She could not for the life of her shake the image from her mind. She could not unsee the pale takeover of Nisha's pupils as she slipped from the waking world; being so full and vibrant one moment then extinguished the next. She wondered if it had affected Jack as much as it did her. If it did, he was taking it marvelously well.

Jack then turned the radio to a rock station Elizabeth was unfamiliar with. When the song reached the bridge, the pounding drum solo worsened the pain in her head, but she kept silent, thankful that the guitar riffs and clashing symbols were drowning out the thoughts afflicting her.

"It's surprising you didn't let that bullet carve my head like a pumpkin. You could've just as easily kept your mouth shut, but you didn't. I appreciate it, really. And I _really_ hate to say it, but I owe you. Whatever you need- no matter what the cost- I'll try my damnedest to see that you get it, no questions asked. You want a car? I'll get you a car so effing expensive everyone you know will want you to run them over for a liability claim." She actually laughed as he fixed his hair and took a brief look at her. "But seriously- thanks, kid." She met his eyes and nodded. "Anytime."

She doubted his proclamation was sincere but it was a nice sentiment, nonetheless. It was the most genuine she'd heard him sound, but he was a good actor; of that she was painfully aware. The atmosphere grew heavy as the unforgiving wind thrashed against the windows, beating the ever-living crap out of the hood of the car. The brutal attacks- along with the trauma of seeing a woman's head be blown to bits- had successfully set Elizabeth's teeth on edge.

Jack noticed her discomfort and flipped the switch to her seat's built-in warmer. She felt the heat flood her bones immediately and she sank into its embrace, her eyelids growing heavy. "Thanks," She said. He gave a toothy grin, "Anytime."

Suddenly, a blinding light shone through the back window of the Bentley, highlighting the two in a bright yellow. Elizabeth whirled around to see a single light protruding through the dark of the night. The black silhouette riding low of the light resembled a motorcycle, its tires picking up the fallen snow and flinging it into the blistering wind. As she attempted make out the rider, the car accelerated to a speed that would have made Doc Brown jealous- then came the gunfire.

A few shots ripped through the air tightening Elizabeth's grip on her seatbelt, making her knuckles whiten. The car jolted as the bullets ricocheted off the bumper and impenetrable window. "Oh shit!" Elizabeth cried, ducking her head in between her knees while Jack gunned it further. "These assholes think they can ride me?" Jack howled, "Liz, there's a gun in the glove compartment! Hand it over! We're going to show these bastards who they're messing with." Without delay, Elizabeth popped the compartment and passed the handgun to Jack who loaded it with a click. "Thanks, babe."

"Be careful!" Elizabeth shouted over the roar of the wind as Jack rolled down the window. "I'm always careful!" He called back, lifting himself from the seat, "Take the wheel, I'll end this bullshit!" She grabbed at the sliding wheel as popped his torso out the window. He turned around toward the attacker, bracing himself with one hand planted against the roof for support and began firing. He fired off a number of shots and the motorcycle swerved a few times dodging the oncoming rain of bullets. Elizabeth tried to keep the car on the straight and narrow but the slick snow had other plans. She had an idea; it was a stupid one, but it was an idea.

"Hold on!" She called grabbing on to Jack's pant leg. With a pull of the wheel, Elizabeth took a sharp right down a conjoining street in an attempt to lose the pursuer. She could hear Jack shouting obscenities at her from outside, but she ignored them as she gained control over the vehicle, once again straightening the car. A bead of sweat dripped in front of her line of sight and she swiftly wiped it away. There was no time to think, there was only do. She scrunched her nose in concentration as the adrenaline pumping through her produced a high she had never experienced. It was crazy to say, but she liked it.

"I think I may have got 'em! I think-" Jack called when suddenly a screech shook Elizabeth to her core. She peeled her eyes from the road to see Jack holding on tight to his right shoulder; blood dripping through his fingers like a failed patch job against a dam. She grabbed him by the hem of his suit jacket and pulled him into the car where he slumped against the seat, wriggling in pain. "Goddammit, lucky bastard got my shooting arm!" Elizabeth watched as the blood poured from his wound. Her mind went blank.

Without warning, Elizabeth looked to the road to see a dead end sign. "Shit!" She cried as she launched herself across the arm rest to slam on the breaks; the tires sliding from the lack of friction against the snow. The Bentley came to a sudden halt against the fence of an alleyway. The car's overheated engine created a sputtering noise that resounded above the silent swish of crunching snow. The motorcycle's roar calmed to a low purr. They were coming.

Elizabeth looked to Jack whose skin was paler than even his off-colored face. He was going to bleed out if Elizabeth didn't do something quick. She grabbed his arm and slung it over her shoulder to help him out the vehicle; managing to grab the gun from his weak grasp, despite his delusional grumblings. As soon as she stepped foot out of the car, Jack's weight had her crashing to her knees in the freezing snow. God damn, he was heavy.

The silent approach of the assailant drew closer as their dark silhouette stepped in front of the motorcycle's headlight. Elizabeth could see a slim form start to take shape, one clothed in all black. They also wore a sleek, black helmet that donned a red stripe on the side, concealing their features from the world. Elizabeth let Jack's back slide against the fence as he sat in the snow and Elizabeth stood; knees shaky and tears forming, but she was determined. She raised the gun at the advancing figure.

"Take one more step and you're…" She started but she was she really in the position to make threats? The figure paused in their approach to give a short laugh, "Dead? I think the word you're looking for is dead." Elizabeth's heart leapt but she nodded slowly.

"You don't even know how to use that thing, do you? By the way, you're holding it the wrong way. You're liable to break your thumbs when they're crossed like that," They said. Elizabeth glared at them but reluctantly undid her thumbs.

"Look, you're just a kid, I get that. Let me have Jack and I promise I won't bother you. Just go back to your ordinary, everyday life and act like none of this ever happened. It won't be your fault." The figure took a step forward revealing a gun. "Just look at him. He's half dead already, why risk your life for this asshole?" Elizabeth dared not turn her eyes from the menacing figure, but she wanted so badly to look at Jack. Whether it was for guidance, for reassurance, or for something else she wasn't sure- but he was no doubt unconscious or face first in the snow by now.

"Do you think you have the right to kill him? Does that make you any better than him?" Elizabeth challenged.

"No, I never said it did. But he _has_ to die. Whether or not that's for the greater good, you can decide, but for now, let me have him. If you don't, I won't have any remorse killing you, I've done it a thousand times." A sob escaped Elizabeth's throat as terror overwhelmed her. What the hell was she doing? Why didn't she just leave now? Leave and never see Jack's slimy face again. Yet, if she did she'd have to live out the rest of her days knowing for the few moments he trusted her, she let him die. The decision was crushing.

"My girl's loyal to the end, Lilith. She's a rock- won't budge a freaking muscle. So, if you're going to take her down, you're taking us both down, you bitch." Elizabeth felt a hand grasp her shoulder for support and she turned to find Jack clutching on to her, looking worse for wear. Guess he made the decision for her. The figure sighed as they took off their helmet to reveal a strikingly pale woman with bright, unnaturally red hair and piercing yellow eyes. Her languid yet ready disposition reminded Elizabeth of a fox.

"Anyone who's dumb enough to defend you, Jack, deserves to be put down," Lilith said acrimoniously. As she aimed her gun at the duo, Jack placed his hand over Elizabeth's and followed suit; his ragged breathing hot against Elizabeth's cheek. They were at a standstill.

Just then, Lilith put a hand to her ear as if intently listening to something. She gazed at the ground in confusion which slowly turned into anger as she quietly argued with whoever was talking in her ear. The anger slowly transformed into an unwilling comprehension and she stood straight, facing them once again.

"You get to live another day, Jack. Guess you can thank the kid for this one. She's a pretty good guard dog, but don't get comfortable," She said spitefully, "She won't always be there for you to hide behind. Do me a favor, Jack, and bleed out." With one last glare, Lilith traversed back to her motorcycle and zoomed off; the snow around her obscuring her departure until she became one with Opportunity's backdrop.

Jack called out after her, spitting blood from his mouth like it was venom, "That's right, run! Run back to your bandit friends!" He stepped forward and was close to falling to his knees until Elizabeth caught his crumbling form.

"W-We scared her. Like she could have handled us anyway," Elizabeth joked despite the nausea overtaking her. With a lurch forward, she felt a rush of putrid bile sting her throat, but she successfully kept it down- for however long she wasn't sure.

Jack cringed, "That's gross."

"We have to get you out of here. Here, let me help you into the car, I'm taking you to the hospital." She put a hand on Jack's arm but he yanked it away defensively. "No hospitals! Handsome Jack _cannot_ go to a hospital!" He commanded. He wiggled lamely in her arms, his huge body making her sway clumsily. "Do you know how stupid I'd look if people knew I went to a hospital? I'd lose all my respect; my citizens would shit their pants if they knew they had a little bitch for a leader. I'd have to-"

Elizabeth threw an arm up into the air in frustration. "Christ, okay! Well then, where am I supposed to take you? You're going to die here if we don't find someone who can fix you, and you're probably going to die faster if you don't shut your goddamn mouth! So, just tell me how to help you, Jack!" She yelled. Jack's bloodshot eyes focused on her and the silence amongst them felt odd. It wasn't the angry, intimidating silence she was used to. It was almost careful- thoughtful.

"First, stop the bleeding then we can go see my personal doctor on the north side of town," Jack said and Elizabeth nodded, grateful for his compliance. "I hope you don't like this suit," She said as she tugged on the seam of Jack's sleeve. "Please, this is just a backup. Cost maybe a thousand; nothing but pocket change. Do what you have to do, girl," Jack said, watching her work as she tried to gingerly pull off the sleeve without disturbing his wound.

She meticulously pulled at the fabric and muttered a sorry each time he winced, but the pain was a thinning issue. It was the look on her face that made him hesitate. He was aware and unapologetic that he would often let his mouth run but for once, he kept his thoughts to himself. She severely confused him. She could have let him die a million times over in a single night, but she didn't- even after he acted like a complete dick head.

Instead, she was here with a look of utter devotion painted upon her bloodied face and a gentle hand against his wound. She was either a goddamn guardian angel or some crazy bitch who'd try to wear his skin by the end of the night. He was excited to find out which.

Once she ripped the sleeve clean off, she wrapped it around his shoulder, slowing the bleeding. With a careful tug, she brought him back up to his feet and helped him in the car where they zoomed off to find Jack's doctor, hopefully leaving the chaos behind them.

 **Doctor Samuel's 3:45 a.m.**

Elizabeth sat anxiously outside of Doctor Samuel's work room and slowly counted the tiles on the ceiling, her feet tapping nervously against the floorboards. She tried to busy herself with the thought of Monday's exam notes, but they were replaced with the agonizing groans of Jack. The sound sickened Elizabeth, bringing the image of Nisha back to her once again- the surprise that flooded her eyes when the bullet connected with her skull was surreal. She didn't even know what was happening, how could she? It all happened so quickly. She never even got her last words.

Another wave of nausea swept over the girl and this time it won- and rather quickly. Thankfully, she made it to the trashcan before she could make a mess on the floor. As she sat back down with a foul taste clogging her mouth, she rested her head against the wall, closing her exhausted eyes. They felt as heavy as a sunken ship confined forever to the lonely depths of the ocean. She wanted nothing more than to be curled up in her warm bed. She wanted to be able to wake up in the morning and know with utter certainty that this was all just a lucid dream, but her aching joints cruelly reminded her it was all too real.

Elizabeth heard the door creak open and Doctor Samuel's stepped out looking rather weary- possibly since her sleep was so rudely interrupted mid REM cycle, but Elizabeth had a feeling this wasn't her first 3 a.m. patch up. Samuel's stood in front of Elizabeth as she took off her bloodied gloves, and with a dab of her forehead she said, "He's going to be fine. Not the worst I've seen him, but for once he didn't have the energy to make some smartass comment- not that I mind. I honestly don't know how he survives such ordeals; you'd really think he ought to be dead by now, but he just keeps living. I wouldn't be surprised if he's nearing his ninth life."

"Thank you for doing this, doctor. I'm so sorry for the inconvenience, but you really are a life-saver," Elizabeth sighed, rubbing her eyes. Samuel's seemed taken aback by the appreciation. She said bluntly, "It's my job. There's no need to thank me." She was quiet as she looked to her right, her nimble fingers bringing her glasses up from her jutting cheekbones to rest in her light hair. "If you'd like, you can go in and see him now."

"…No, I should probably go home. It's late and he needs rest. I wouldn't want to-" Elizabeth started. "Actually that wasn't an offer. Jack told me to tell you to come in, so I recommend you do and by recommend I mean I _implore_ you to go in. That is, if you want to save me and -to a lesser extent- _you_ from his bitching," Doctor Samuel's said; the deadpan in her voice persuading Elizabeth. The older woman looked like she had seen some shit and Elizabeth wasn't one to argue. Carefully, she stood and opened the door to the workroom.

The smell of antiseptics hit Elizabeth hard as she stepped into the room; the fluorescent lighting thoroughly burning her pupils. She rubbed them, not caring about her remaining makeup. She knew she looked like shit, what harm would raccoon eyes do? When her vision focused, she planted her attention solely on the hospital bed in the middle of the room.

Jack looked completely vulnerable lying on the clean bed; his dark scrapes and bruises a stark difference to that of the pristine, white covers surrounding him like a blanket of snow. A thin white sheet was covering his lower half and his shoulder had been successfully patched up.

When he heard her come in, he attempted to prop himself up but fell back slightly, grunting in pain. She offered a hand but he denied it as he muscled his way to a sitting position. She rested her hands on the side of the bed as he elongated his back, producing a large crack. "Hey, babe, you're a sight for sore eyes." He gripped his shoulder as he hunched, his belly rolling slightly over. She said, "You should lie down. You don't want to agitate your shoulder too much."

"Trust me, this is nothing; I've had more painful shits than this. If Nish were here she'd be all "Suck it up, buttercup" and slap my arm so everything after that wouldn't hurt as much," He laughed and then sighed, "God, I'm gonna miss her." Elizabeth bit her lip and said, "I'm sorry, I can't even imagine losing someone you love. I-If there's anything I can do-" "Cut the pity party. Nisha knew the risks of staying close to me, and she was willing to put her life on the line for Pandora. That was all her, so don't you dare take that away from her." Elizabeth's drew in a breath then nodded solemnly.

Jack motioned for her to sit on the bed and she complied, sliding her way on top of the covers. The air was thick with words they didn't want to share; the only thing cutting through the silence was the steady beep of Jack's heart monitor. Jack rested his good arm behind his head to prop himself up as he laid back to stare out the window; a single light from the outside illuminating the continuous snowfall.

"Who was that woman?" Elizabeth asked, "She have some sort of vendetta against you?" Jack's tongue clicked as he continued to stare outside. "Who doesn't? She's a part of that goddamn bandit group in Sanctuary, the _Crimson Raiders."_

"They really exist? I was starting to think they were just a myth."

"Nope, they're real, but don't be impressed. They're justbunch of murdering, mentally-damaged idiots who think they have a snowball's chance in hell of killing me- _me,_ Handsome Jack! Don't get me wrong, the fact that they think they can kill me is adorable and all, and sometimes I even let them have the first shot- no one ever said Handsome Jack wasn't fair- but, God, are they annoying."

"Okay so, this one time I was- I don't know what the hell I was doing- getting coffee? Anyway, I'm walking down the street, right? And this guy just upping throws his shoe at me in broad daylight. That was his tactic plan: a shoe. It didn't even hit me. It flew past me and hit some old broad in her ancient face. Shit, it was priceless- you should have seen it, she was like-" He pulled his face back into a wrinkly, startled grimace.

"So, this guy's still standing there like a moron with his other shoe in his hand, and he was so proud of himself, too. He had a battle cry and everything! "This is just a taste of what the Crimson Raiders can do- be warned, we are coming for you! Yadda, yadda, yadda, I'm a stupid jackass!" I was going to piss myself, I was laughing so hard!" Jack bellowed as he wiped his eyes. He sighed as he managed to catch his breath, "Then I broke his kneecaps and crushed his windpipe because his voice was _super_ annoying." Elizabeth gave an uncomfortable laugh to humor him even though the picture he described terrified her.

Jack's laughing stopped as he wrapped his hands into tight balls. "But the moment they killed Nish was the moment it became personal. Those cowards didn't even have the balls to face me. Nope- they had to send that bitch in to do their dirty work while they hid away in the corners like a bunch of rats in a hole. I'll make sure every last one of them burns." Elizabeth stayed silent as she rubbed her arms; a shiver chilling her to the core.

"Do you know anything about love, kid?" Jack asked giving his neck a crack. Elizabeth was caught off guard by the sudden change of subject but attempted to mull the odd question over.

"Probably not; I've only ever had one boyfriend and he was a real asshole. We were together for about eight months before I found him at the dog park with another girl. He knew that was my favorite spot to take my bully, and he goes and pulls that shit. But, to be honest, I was probably more upset that I had to find another dog park to go to. To say he had the conversation skills of a wall would be an insult to walls. Thinking back, I'm pretty sure I was just with him because I felt I had to. It's sort of funny to say that it was a relief to see him there." Elizabeth brought her legs up onto the bed to cross them as she thought about her dog, Leo. That's who she really missed.

" _Wowie_ , that sucks big time, kiddo- but you're young; you got your whole life to be worried about that shit; a lot of a-holes will break your heart and trust me when I say those big, brown eyes will do a lot heart-breaking, too." Elizabeth felt her cheeks flare.

"For me, love was a crucial part of my life. My first wife and I were married when we were still kids- probably around your age. Since then, I've been married three times over, I've had more girlfriends than I can count on one hand, and when I wasn't with someone I was always looking for the next prospect," He said as a shiver wracked his body, shaking the whole bed. Straightway, Elizabeth went to fetch him an extra blanket from the closet. He looked up at her with his eyebrows raised and mumbled a quick, "Thanks".

"I guess what I'm trying to say is I've never been alone. Even if I wanted to throttle them, there's always been someone at my side throughout the years. And, yes, I am man enough to say that I have no effing clue what I'd do without someone constantly in my ear- guiding me, encouraging me, yelling at me." Jack stared down at his hands, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. "I'd like to think I'm a pretty passionate guy. I'm passionate about my work, about my love life, about Pandora. I give and give and give and I'm just overall, _hilariously_ generous."

Although she felt the burn of sarcasm tickle the tip of her tongue, Elizabeth refrained from sharing it. She had never seen Jack so open; she didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Growing up in a shit home with shit people shaped me into the man I am today; a hard-working, take-no-shit kind of guy who happens to be the pinnacle of loyalty- not to mention modesty," Jack said, stroking his own inflating ego. God, was he making this hard for her on purpose? He then clutched the bed sheet along his lap, wrinkling the fabric into tiny, white valleys. There was remorse in his voice when he said, "But I have this shit habit of attracting less than loyal friends."

"Everyone who has entered my life has eventually left me or has been taken from me. It sucks to admit, but I'm desperate to hold on to those I still have- and don't want to kill. If I like you, I will go all out for you. I don't half-ass anything… I just wish more people felt the same way- wish they actually gave a damn," Jack said, shaking his head as a low growl rumbled out of his throat, "…Jesus, I sound like I'm on my period. I don't know what the hell I'm trying to say. I'm sure you don't want to listen to me complain about bullshit that doesn't concern you."

"Come on, I listen to it all the time, what makes now any different?" Elizabeth teased, "And I'm not sure what you're trying to say either, but I appreciate you trying. It's the closest I've ever seen you as an actual person and not _Handsome Jack_." She subconsciously put a hand on his forearm and he flinched from her cold fingers. "And I _like_ listening. For as long as I can remember, I've loved listening to people. Why do you think I want to be a Psychologist? All I'd have to do all day is listen to people talk about their lives. It's weird, but it's my thing," She reassured.

He narrowed his eyes at her as he let out a long exhale through his nostrils. "You really are strange, cupcake. One minute you're as sharp as razor blade and the next you're so sweet it's almost sick- kinda scary." She seriously could not believe her ears. All the effort she underwent to try and suppress herself was for naught as her quiet snicker wildly turned into a full on laugh; a hand hovering protectively above her mouth in an attempt to hide her ugly cackle.

"Coming from the human atom bomb himself! I'm afraid that if I so much as breathe wrong in front of you you'll break my spine over a two by four!" She had no idea why she found any of this funny, but she continued to laugh in spite of herself. Jack couldn't help but laugh too. "You're just a little psychopath, aren't you? Pegged you as a masochist from the first time we met and looks like I was right," Jack snorted, "You handled yourself pretty well back there, by the way. Thought you were just some punk kid with shit-for-brains, but I'll gladly accept I was wrong- you're pretty badass, pumpkin."

She was about to mention her violent nausea just moments prior but didn't want to disregard his compliment, so she just smiled. "Thanks."

So, that was all it took to make her smile- all this sappy shit? Hell, he could pull this all damn day. Although, he loved her anger, her smile was starting to grow on him. And having her so close, he could now see new parts of her he hadn't noticed before, including the few crooked teeth planted at the front of her mouth. They looked like little clashing sugar cubes. He also noted the pink tint of her chapped lips; a bit of blood staining the upper groove of her lip. They reminded him of his favorite flavor of Starbursts.

Elizabeth stretched her arms out in front of her as she let out a long yawn, "Welp. I should probably get going. It's past my bedtime and I have class in the morning. You should probably get some rest, too; can't be the CEO of Hyperion from a hospital bed."

" _Please_ , I could run Hyperion from my grave."

"Well, hopefully it doesn't come to that," Elizabeth said standing up and giving Jack a quick nod, "Bye, Jack." She turned to leave.

Rather than continuing towards the door, Elizabeth stopped mid stride as she felt an unexpected tug at her clothes. Before she could react, she was suddenly pulled back roughly, her shins colliding with the metal siding of the hospital bed and her teeth clashing together with something so painfully hard it made the inside of her eyeballs hurt. Her lips, however, were met with a particular softness; a chapped connection of a gentle yet assertive encounter. She opened her eyes to find Jack's lips locked against hers.

Her surprise was muffled by the pressure of Jack's mouth over hers, her words lost within the confines of his maw. She felt his soft moans tickle the back of her throat. As she felt her lips slowly lose control under his force, his hands started to wrap around her waist. In an instant she panicked. She put her hands on his chest in an attempt to pry her body from his grasp, but his hands pressed tighter to her sides, unwilling to let go; his strong fingers digging possessively into her ribs. She didn't want to think about how soft his lips were or how they tasted of stale champagne. She just wanted to rid herself of his hold.

The final straw was the sudden shift of his hips into her lower abdomen as he tried to overpower her. Elizabeth focused her whirling mind and pressed her knuckles into Jack's shoulder with all her might. She was _not_ having this. With a yelp, Jack's grip loosened and Elizabeth's feet connected with the cold, tiled floor; her legs shaky underneath her weight. Her heart began to spasm as she made eye-contact with Jack, his ragged breathing sending chills down her back. Astonishingly enough, he didn't look mad. He looked… eager.

"I-I… I have to-" Elizabeth stuttered as she backed up toward the door, Jack's face unreadable. The beeping of Jack's monitor was frantic as he watched her go. She felt behind her for the door knob and whispered, "I'll see you." With that, she turned to briskly walk out of the suffocating room; not stopping to acknowledge Doctor Samuel's as she passed. She simply walked out of that shit show as quickly as humanly possible.

As she bolted outside, the cold night air hit her hard; a thousand butcher knives carving up her lungs. She didn't care how she was going to get home or what horrors waited for her in the darkness, she just started walking. Much to her chagrin, the once fluffy snow had turned to sleet against the pavement making her boots slide against the slick concrete. She fell on her butt a couple times freezing her damp pants to her legs, but it never stopped her pursuit for home- wherever that was. She put a hand to her numb lips as she tasted the mixture of sick and champagne on her tongue. It made her stomach flop.

Her march through the snow halted as she looked to the ground, her thoughts running wildly. She felt hot tears burn her cheeks. She had no reason to cry, but the waterworks came regardless; uncomfortably freezing in place on her red cheeks. With a deep breath, she pushed on.

 **Apartment 4:50 a.m.**

Elizabeth ran a towel through her wet hair as she sat in bed. She rejoiced as she fell back into its warm embrace, letting out an exhausted sigh as soon as her head hit the pillow. Her scattered mind then zeroed in remembering her eleven o'clock class. She gave a groan of disgust. With a dig of her face into the pillow, she made an executive decision to skip it. She had definitely earned a day off from all the bullshit.

After a well needed shower, Elizabeth's heart had successfully found its way back to a healthy equilibrium. Still, her jumbled brain was relentless as it cruelly replayed the night's events. She didn't want to acknowledge any of it, but her brain was persistent as it displayed the horror show from beginning to end; all of which was still _very_ fresh in her mind.

She saw the light of her phone go off and she snatched it quickly; not wanting to let out any of the heat that had developed under the covers escape. She squinted as the light burned her eyes.

 _ **Rhys**_

 _Hey are you okay?_

 _I didn't see you leave_

 _Are you alright?_

 _ **Sent 8:30 p.m.**_

 _I wanted to go back in_

 _But they wouldn't let me_

 _Can you please answer?_

 _ **Sent 8:45 p.m.**_

 _Vaughn said he thought he saw you leave_

 _Sorry this is really freaking me out_

 _Please text me when you can_

 _ **Sent 9:00 p.m.**_

 _I can't go to sleep_

 _Are you home?_

 _ **Sent 12: 03 a.m.**_

 _Elizabeth?_

 _ **Sent 4:32 a.m.**_

Without hesitation, Elizabeth texted back. Whether Rhys was up or not, she wanted him to know she was okay. She was more than relieved to hear he was.

 _im okay_

 _Sorry I made you worry_

 _Looong story_

 _Will tell u later_

 _ **Delivered 4:54 a.m.**_

Elizabeth waited.

 _ **Rhys**_

 _Thank God_

 _That is so good to hear_

 _Goodnight Elizabeth_

 _ **Sent 4:54 a.m.**_

She smiled as she attempted to choke back an onslaught of tears. God, she was sick of crying, but she could hardly believe it. He had stayed up all night worrying about her. Her heart broke as she pictured him staying up to routinely check his phone to see if she had responded, growing more worried each time there was no new message. God, this kid was a gift.

As Elizabeth began to put her phone away she noticed another notification in her messages. It was from a number she didn't recognize. She assumed it was just spam or a wrong number, but checked it regardless. The message read:

 _ **Unknown**_

 _Hi, you do not know me, but I know you very well._

 _Do not be afraid, I am here to help._

 _I have been watching and would like a moment of your time when you can._

 _After you get this next message erase it immediately-_

 _I am at the address 202 Bunker Hill._

 _I will not be in any of the surrounding neighborhood-_

 _I am hidden away but this is how you can find me._

 _There will be a code under a statue of a swan near the edge of a pond-_

 _The code is 3114597-_

 _Erase that as well._

 _I want to discuss the position you keep with the man known as Handsome Jack._

 _I look forward to our meeting._

 _I know this may seem an odd request-_

 _And you have no reason to trust me, I understand._

 _But I implore you to come._

 _I may be able to help you._

 _ **-A.**_

Elizabeth ran her eyes across the words multiple times before she could understand the mysterious message. Even then, she could not fully grasp what she was reading. This was not the craziest thing she had been subject to tonight, but it definitely itched at her curiosity. This person could have been a murderer for all she knew; ready to draw her in with pretty words and build up a false sense of security just to slit her throat in a private area. The excitement Elizabeth felt overruled her practicality.

Her thumbs hovered over the keyboard as she read the last line again. _I may be able to help you._ As if they had a mind of their own, her fingers went to work.

 _This is pretty dumb of me but_

 _Yeah sure_

 _I'll meet u there_

 _Tomorrow 4_

 _ **Sent 5:03 a.m.**_

Despite feeling as if her emotions were about to transform her body into a chaotic symphony, Elizabeth wasn't an idiot- not entirely, at least. She brought herself back down from the clouds and went through her contacts to find Jess.

 _U wanna go on an adventure?_

 _ **Sent 5:04 a.m.**_

Jess was not one to shy away from the tantalizing idea of reckless escapades, no matter the cost. This was the same girl who explored abandoned buildings every other weekend just to find moss and rust samples for her labs, and unfortunately, Elizabeth was her right hand in these endeavors. But Jess had definitely given her friend her fair share of heart attacks in the past. Maybe it was time to return the favor.

Elizabeth heard her phone shake the table with a quick vibration. She checked it in anticipation.

 _Wonderful!_

 _ **-A.**_


End file.
